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THE GOLD HUNTERS 

OF CALIFORNIA 



Thomas Edwin Farish 



Illustrated by F. I. Wetherbee, Chicago 



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CHICAGO 
M. A. DONOHUE & CO. 

1904 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Gopies Keceivej 

DEC 19 1904 

Copyivm tiitry 
CLASS CI XXc. No: 

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COHY b. 



Copyright 1904, by 
Thomas Edwin Farish 






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ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 

Sutter's Fort, 1847 Frontispiece 

James W. Marshall, the Discoverer of Gold 8 

Finding the Big Nugget 42 

Killed Them All Without Lowering His Rifle 76 

That Shot Killed Twenty-seven Geese . . . . \ . .101 

Senator David C. Broderick 108 

"You have a wife and small children, Lee, so I spare your life" 112 

General Albert Sydney Johnston 117 

Louis Sloss 150 

"It zhust maks me zick, right here" 180 

Reaching the Other Side Just as the Bridge was Swept Away 184 
W. C. Ralston, Founder of the Bank of California . . . .187 
Senator George Hearst, a Great Miner 215 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

From Memphis to New Orleans and across the Isthmus of 
Panama to California more than fifty years ago — San Fran- 
cisco in 1852 11 

CHAPTER II. 

Prominent Citizens of San Francisco in 1852-3 — Banks, News- 
papers, etc. — Marysville in 1854 — Mining and its Develop- 
ment from 1849 to 1860 — Some Big Strikes Made and Some 
Failures — The Largest Nugget Found in California by W. 
A. Farish and Partners — My First Trip to Virginia City. . . 27 

CHAPTER III. 

Ministers, Lawyers, Public Schools and Theatres of the Early 
Days 47 

CHAPTER IV. 

Leading Men — John A. Sutter, Haggin and Tevis; Walker 
and Count Rosseau, Filibusters; Stephen J. Field, George 
C. Gorham and others 54 

CHAPTER V. 

The Native Population— Outlaws and Man-hunters 67 

CHAPTER VI. 

Honesty of the "Argonauts"— Their Fun-making— With 
some account of "Mark Twain," "John Phoenix," and other 
Noted Humorists 80 

CHAPTER VII. 

Politicians— Their Personal Quarrels and Duels— General Albert 

Sidney Johnston Prevents California from Seceding 104 

5 



6 Table of Contents 

CHAPTER VIII. page 

Southern Sympathizers — The "Caroline Chapman" Affair 
— John Conness and J. C. McKibben 124 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Building of the Central Pacific Railroad — Henry George a 
Christian of the World— Legislation in 1868 — An Overland 
Trip in 1868. The "Alaska Commercial Company." 137 

CHAPTER X. 

Fortunes made in City and Country Property — Develop- 
ment of Agriculture 152 

CHAPTER XI. 

Vein Mining — The Development of the Comstock Lode — Stock 
Gambling Rampant — Origin of the Telegraph Cipher Code 
— Stage Drivers: One of Whom was a Woman Incog- 
nito 170 

CHAPTER XII. 

Suspension of the Bank of California — Death of William 
C. Ralston 187 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Other Prominent Men — Mills, Sharon, Keene, Hearst, Mackay, 
Fair, Flood and O'Brien; Bradbury, who saved the life of 
Porfirio Diaz, President of Mexico 206 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Great Diamond Swindle of California 221 

CHAPTER XV. 

Improvement, Evolution and Revolution of the Machinery 
and Methods for the Development of Mines 236 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Chinese — Their Arrival, Use and Effect Upon the Country — 
Conclusion 240 



INTRODUCTORY. 

While gold has been responsible for much evil in the 
world, it has been the propelling force that has marked 
the most brilliant epochs of human progress. When 
Israel was a world power, she owned or controlled the 
land of Ophir, from which her wise King Solomon drew 
the gold to build and beautify the temple. 

The gold and silver dug from the mines of Europe 
and Asia created the schools of art, philosophy, and 
literature of Greece and Rome. 

The treasures of North and South America for cen- 
turies pouring a golden stream into Europe raised the 
curtain of the dark ages, ended the night of brutality, 
ignorance and superstition which enveloped mankind 
and ushered in the morning of a day, the noonday 
splendor of which we of the twentieth century now 
enjoy. 

The advance of the human race, during the last 
fifty years, in all the fields of art, in mechanics, com- 
merce, science and religion is due to the opening of 
the gold fields of California and Australia. 

The stars and stripes was first raised in California 
above Sutter's Fort near the present city of Sacra- 
mento in the fall of 1846. Fremont's command, and 
Stephenson's regiment and Commodore Sloat's Marines 
conquered the state, and it became American territory 

7 



8 Introductory 

upon the close of the Mexican war in 1847. On the 
24th of January, 1848, in digging a sluiceway at Sut- 
ter's Mill, at Coloma on the American river in the 
upper Sacramento Valley, James W. Marshall found 
yellow particles that were soon proven to be gold. 
The men of the valleys scattered over the hills and 
mountains, and gold placers, rich beyond the dream 
of avarice were found to be generally distributed through 
the northern part of the state. The news electrified 
the world. 1849 witnessed a mad rush to the new 
gold fields from all parts of the earth. Sailing vessels 
sailed in scores from New York, Boston and other 
ports for San Francisco, around the Horn, and thou- 
sands from the southern and western states took up 
the weary six months trudge across the plains, defying 
the forces of nature and the more dangerous savage, 
in a wild desire to enter first the new Eldorado. Ships 
on arrival were abandoned by their crews. All was 
excitement. Hardy prospectors crowded into the dig- 
gings, nothing dismayed by the dangers awaiting them 
these soldiers of fortune braved all in their eager search 
for gold; in their success they laid the foundation of 
civilization on the Pacific deep and strong in the mortar 
masonry of true Americanism. 

In 1847 San Francisco was a port of entry for the 
North Pacific whaling fleet, a few huts scattered over 
a sandy beach housed a population of a few hundred. 
Her only exports were hides and tallow. A transfor- 
mation came with the opening of the gold fields. 

The Pacific Mail Steamship line was established 



Introductory 9 

from New York via the Isthmus of Panama to San 
Francisco early in 1850. 

In 1851 the Nicaragua route was opened by Com- 
modore Vanderbilt. 

In 1S49 the government created a naval and military 
station at Benicia and there was a question as to whether 
Benicia or San Francisco would be the future metropolis 
of the Golden West. The incoming tide of immigra- 
tion settled the question in favor of the latter and so 
one of the greatest of modern cities had its beginning. 

The name California was taken from a Spanish 
romance published in 1521, which was very popular 
when lower California was discovered by a lieutenant 
of Cortez in 1534. 



THE GOLD HUNTERS 

OF CALIFORNIA 



CHAPTER I 



In the little town of Macon, Tennessee, twenty-eight 
miles from the city of Memphis, I was born. My 
father was a merchant and lost his fortune through 
the decline of cotton, in 1848, when, on account of the 
French Revolution, that important staple was sold in 
London for less than it originally cost in Memphis. 
In the spring of 1849, having decided to try his fortune 
in new fields, he bade farewell to home and family, 
and, in company with his brother and nephew, joined 
the army of emigrants for far off California. It was 
a long, tedious and dangerous journey, in those days, 
and the party was six months on the road. Father 
wrote us regularly until he passed Santa Fe, New 
Mexico, after which we did not hear from him again 
until a long half-year had passed away. The anxious 
months of this weary waiting can be safely left to 
the imagination; the reality can hardly be described. 

During this interval ocean communication had been 
established between New York and California, via 
Panama, by which we received a letter from father, 

n 



12 The Gold Hunters of California 

inclosing a draft for a sum which, I well remember, 
to his impoverished family, seemed a fortune indeed. 
Before the close of the year, 1851, my father had com- 
pleted arrangements whereby his family was to join 
him in the new home he had prepared for them in the 
far west. 

He had begun business there, on the Yuba River, 
by selling pies, which had increased to a wholesale 
general merchandise establishment in Marysville, Cal- 
ifornia. 

If all families were like ours, as to members, there 
would be little danger of "race suicide"; there were 
six children, I the eldest and my brother the youngest, 
eight years my junior. We started from Macon and 
reached Memphis on the first day of January, 1852. 

Memphis at that time had a population of eight 
thousand, and furnished a place where was marketed 
all the cotton produced in the surrounding country. 
Not a railroad then entered the city; all transportation 
in and out was by boats or wagons. 

We remained at Memphis until the middle of January, 
when we took passage on the steamboat "Empire" 
for New Orleans. The fare for that three-days-trip, 
including meals and stateroom, was ten dollars. 

To a boy who had never been beyond the scenes 
surrounding home, such a journey was fraught with 
constant and wondrous interest and change. Every 
mile brought to view a new surprise. The splendid 
country homes of the southern planters, as they ap- 
peared upon the banks of the "Father of Waters," 



The Gold Hunters of California 13 

are still vividly impressed upon my memory. The 
spacious houses with their wide verandas, surrounded 
by trees and flowers; the broad, well-gravelled walks 
stretching to the river banks, all indicative of wealth 
and plenty, created a most lasting impression upon 
my young mind. 

New Orleans, with its population of some hundred 
thousand, seemed a veritable world within itself. Its 
immense levees covered with bales of cotton as they 
were discharged from hundreds of river boats, thence 
transferred to the power-houses to be compressed 
to one-half the original bulk, ready for shipment on the 
larger ocean steamers and ships; its motley crowd of 
white and colored laborers; the old French quarter 
with its narrow streets; the St. Charles Hotel, a large 
building four stories high, and seeming to me an en- 
chanted palace; the old French Market where fragrant 
coffee was sold, and where the American Indians dis- 
played their curious wares — crude needle-work, leather- 
work, feather- work and unique baskets — for sale; and 
myriads of other novel sights gave me a new and mar- 
velous impression of the great, wide, wonderful world 
and the life that lay before me. 

Rev. McCoy, a Presbyterian minister, accompanied 
us from Macon. We had been intrusted to his care 
and he was to see us safely landed in San Francisco. 
Father had procured and sent us through-tickets 
from New Orleans to that city, yet, on account of 
the rush of travel, we were unable to obtain passage 
before the tenth of March. About dusk of that event- 



14 The Gold Hunters of California 

ful day we started aboard the "Falcon," an old, rickety 
boat, that to-day would not be permitted to leave her 
wharf. We passed through the streets of New Orleans, 
the minister and my mother in the lead, with six young- 
sters trailing behind, — I the tallest, the others gradu- 
ally diminishing in stature,— we formed a procession 
that excited both curiosity and comment. I will 
never forget the exclamation of an "old colored 
Mammy." 

"Afoah de Lawd sake!" she cried, throwing up her 
hands in astonishment, "does all dem chillun belong 
to dat one ooman!" 

An incident that somewhat incensed my mother, 
who felt indignant at the presumption of the negro 
to make comment at all, in hearing of the passers-by; 
but which very much amused my boyish fancy. 

A heavy storm upon the Gulf made the passage a 
severe one. In common with almost all the passengers, 
I was sick for ten days, the time required to reach 
Aspinwall. The railroad had then been completed 
from Aspinwall as far inland as Bueno Soldado, on 
the Chagris River, and was the first railroad I had ever 
seen. 

From Bueno Soldado, up the Chagris River as far 
as Gorgona, the passengers were transported on boats 
owned and conducted by the natives. When we 
alighted from the train at Soldado these boatmen 
were as noisy and importunate as are the cabmen of 
the New York stations, or of Market street, San Fran- 
cisco of to-day. 



The Gold Hunters of California 15 

The natives were dark, half -clad, and, to the uninitia- 
ted, without attraction. I shall always remember the 
look and gesture of disgust and repugnance with which 
my mother rejected and repulsed the offers of a tall 
specimen of the country, too airily clad for decency, 
who insisted upon escorting her party to his boat. 

The boats were poled along the river and we reached 
Gorgona about nightfall. Next morning our party 
started for the city of Panama, a trip of fifteen or 
eighteen miles. This distance was traveled on the 
backs of native mules, animals not much larger than 
the common burros of New Mexico and Arizona^ I 
do not recollect any settlements or attempts at farming 
on the Isthmus at that day. There was a profusion 
of tropical trees and undergrowth with an abundance 
of oranges, bananas and cocoanuts; while myriads 
of monkeys and bright-plumaged parrots made the 
woods resonant with their screams and chattering. 
After leaving Gorgona the mule-trail was, in part, 
over a rough country and an old road that must have 
been traveled for centuries past; for, in places down 
the hillsides there were steps worn several feet deep 
in the solid rock. 

At Panama we were shown the old forts of Morgan, 
the pirate and buccaneer. 

This was a quaint old city even then; primitive 
and unchanged for three hundred years, or since the 
Spanish occupation. It was without wharves, so that 
vessels in the bay had to ride at anchor more than a 
mile from the town. Passengers for these vessels were 



16 The Gold Hunters of California 

carried on the backs of the natives, over a space of 
perhaps two hundred yards and placed in small boats 
which conveyed them to the larger ships. We found 
several thousand Americans there awaiting transpor- 
tation to the new Eldorado, so that every sailing craft 
was readily chartered immediately upon arrival in port 
and loaded to its full capacity with a cargo of human 
freight. The recent rush from Seattle to the Klondyke 
reminded one of the crushing and crowding into the 
steamers and sailing vessels in the harbors of Panama 
in those early days. 

After a two days' rest at this place we boarded the 
Pacific Mail Steamship, " Northerner/' for San Fran- 
cisco. Her capacity was limited to carry five hundred 
passengers; upon this occasion she had seven hundred 
and fifty in the steerage, alone, and two hundred more 
in the cabins. Every available nook and corner was 
crowded with human beings. The profits of this 
boat were enormous. I remember, boy though I 
was, hearing the purser say that the ship would, on 
that trip alone, clear a sum sufficient to construct a 
vessel new and complete. The cost of cabin-fare 
from New Orleans to San Francisco was three hundred 
and seventy-five dollars; to which must be added 
fifty dollars for transportation across the Isthmus of 
Panama. 

The weather was very warm. Under the main 
deck the atmosphere was stifling. The tables and 
floors of the dining saloon were utilized for beds. And 




James W. Marshall, the Discoveker of 
Gold.— Page 8. 



The Gold Hunters of California 17 

after dark, all the decks, both fore and aft, were covered 
with human beings trying vainly to sleep. 

Hard-tack and " salt-horse," potatoes and thin coffee 
constituted a meal for the steerage passengers. Those 
in the cabin fared better, though their tables were 
far from being first class. 

The steamship company evidently recognized and 
appreciated the fact that a harvest was ready at hand 
and were not slow to seize the opportunity to gather 

it in. 

A wonderful company was collected aboard that 
boat! Young, ardent, enthusiastic, adventurous and 
gay. Few on board above thirty years of age and few 
below eighteen. Almost all were men. Not many 
women went West in those days. 

A more jolly, expectant crowd one could hardly 

find. 

Fully impressed with the stories they had heard of 
the extent and richness of the new gold-fields, toward 
which their own faces were now turned; buoyant, impul- 
sive and full of life, not a cloud arose to darken the 
horizon of their sky. To all, hope whispered the same 
enchanting tale: 

"A few sunny months, at most a few short years, 
spent in washing gold, then a return to home, sweet- 
hearts and wives, laden with a rich competency for 
all life to come," were the thoughts with which she 
filled each breast. Or, 

"Jim Jones, Bill Smith and others had returned 



18 The Gold Hunters of California 

with their golden 'piles/ why should not fortune smile 
on me?" 

In the steerage groups of men could be seen any 
time studying some old map of California and such 
exclamations as this were often heard: 

"Now, here is Murphy's Diggings, where Zeke Wilson 
struck it rich. He said he made from twenty-five 
to fifty dollars a day there, and there was plenty left. 
I am going right there myself." 

Another would point out some other mine, whose 
rosy allurements drew him from his childhood's home. 
And many more. 

All these days Ambition soared aloft. How many 
of these young, ardent hearts were doomed to disap- 
pointment; how many realized their dreams; or how 
many afterwards became useful and prominent men 
in the life of the Golden State; how many returned to 
the homes they had left, are questions I cannot answer 
here. But that they represented the true American 
spirit of push and enterprise, endurance and ambition, 
are truths so patent that none will deny. 

On the eleventh day of April, 1852, the " Northerner" 
passed safely through the famous Golden Gate. As 
she glided proudly into the majestic bay, the beautiful 
peninsula of San Francisco lying to the right, pretty 
islands dotting the waters around, and stretching to 
the left, the inviting lands of Contra Costa — where 
now lies the city of Oakland — all, heightened by the 
blue sky and glorious sunshine of California, were 



The Gold Hunters of California 19 

enough to inspire the heart and arouse the enthusiasm 
of the most sluggish natures known. 

Our ship was made fast at Pacific Wharf. The 
bustle and confusion that ensued, the noise and per- 
tinacity of the hotel-runners, while not so great as 
on Market Street wharf to-day, were quite exciting 
and vociferous enough to satisfy the demands of the 
time and to fully gratify the expectations of a boy like 
myself. 

The crowding and curiosity to see the newly arrived 
eastern-folk were about like one finds now in Sonora, 
Mexico. 

San Francisco in 1852! 

What a straggling, primitive town it was! But 
much grown and changed since four years before. 

Previous to the discovery of gold in California, San 
Francisco w T as only a calling place for whalers, and a 
port from which skins and hides were shipped. A 
few rudely built houses, no streets, no wharves. Noth- 
ing, except its magnificent harbor, to mark it as the 
place that was to become the future great metropolis 
of the Pacific Coast. 

But at the time of the landing of our party improve- 
ment and civilization had obtained a strong foothold. 
I still remember walking up to the old Rassette 
House, on the corner of Sansome and Bush Streets, 
where now stands the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It was a 
plain wooden structure, in the rear of which rose a 
sand-hill fully seventy-five feet high. 



20 The Gold Hunters of California 

Even then the city claimed a population of ten 
thousand souls. Sansome on Commercial and Clay 
Streets touched the Bay. 

The Niantic and Tehama, popular hotels of the time, 
on these streets were built upon hulks of old vessels. 
The streets were not graded but could boast of rude, 
plank sidewalks in front of most of the buildings. 

Rats, by millions, infested the city, and seemed to 
constitute the principal live-stock of the place. After 
dark these pests became so venturesome one had to 
kick them from the sidewalks as he proceeded down 
the streets. 

Wholesale houses were already established on Bat- 
tery, Sansome and the eastern side of Front Streets. 
Many of these establishments occupied by importers and 
jobbers, were built upon piles which rose above the Bay. 

William T. Coleman & Co., J. H. Coghill & Co., and 
Arrington & Co., were the principal grocers. Kelly, 
Janson & Bond, the leading dry-goods jobbers. The 
harbor was filled with the hulks of old vessels, which 
were used for the storage of merchandise. 

On Montgomery Street, south of Pine, there was no 
building; in fact, there was nothing on this street 
south of California Street. On going south from that 
street one waded deeper and deeper in the sand-hills. 
Across Market Street was what was called " Happy 
Valley." Still farther south, Yerba Bueno, which had 
been utilized by the earlier settlers as a burying ground. 

The old Mission Church was reached by a horse- 
back ride from Montgomery Street. 



The Gold Hunters of California 21 

All the land beyond Taylor Street, not covered 
by sand-hills, was used for growing potatoes. For 
many years the Mission potato of San Francisco was 
famous throughout the state of California. Long Wharf 
extended from Sansome Street, on Commercial, to 
Drum Street. The river steamers left this wharf for 
the interior towns of Stockton, Marysville and Sacra- 
mento. To Marysville freight was thirty dollars per 
ton, to Stockton twenty dollars and to Sacramento 
ten. A steamboat would, by its profits in this trade, 
pay for itself in one month. Commercial Street, from 
Sansome to Montgomery on either side, was lined with 
Jew clothing stores, — " Peter Funk Auction Stores" 
they were called. 

Great crowds would gather in front of these places 
in the evenings, where the auctioneers, mounted on 
counters, would offer their goods for sale. Sometimes 
beginning with some small article, such as a pair of 
woolen socks, at, say, a hundred dollars, then rapidly 
descend in price to, perhaps, seventy-five cents, when 
with the exclamation: 

"I will never take a cent less," the bidders would 
be notified that the bottom price had been reached. 
And so the entertainment and sales would go. It 
was a busy scene. The street for the entire square 
crowded as it was with clamorous customers, the 
vociferous auctioneers making noise enough to deafen 
the ears, if not to interest all passers-by. 

A hundred venders of patent medicines could not 
successfully vie with them. 



22 The Gold Hunters of California 

Baths, in those days ; were two dollars. To get a 
shave and make a complete toilet would have required 
a full pocket-book, did one indulge in such luxuries 
as often as good taste required. 

One or two French restaurants were in operation, 
with meals at two dollars and fifty cents, the lowest 
price. Numerous other restaurants, the principal ones 
being Aldrich's and Winn's, — the latter noted for his 
hot-cakes and golden syrup. 

Beef, game and fish were abundant. The sea-gull 
rookeries, of the Farilones supplied the market with 
gull-eggs, which sold for one dollar per dozen. 

Hens' eggs were worth almost their weight in gold. 

I remember a couple of young men recently landed 
from Tennessee, dropped into Aldrich's for breakfast 
one morning. Not being aware of the rarity, and 
consequent prices of eggs in California, and having 
five dollars still left with which to pay for breakfast 
for two, calmly ordered their usual breakfast of eggs 
and toast. When the bill was presented the young 
gentlemen saw, to their consternation, that the amount 
was ten dollars. They had only five, what was to be 
done ? 

After a consultation together it was decided that 
one of them should remain while the other should go 
out to look for Colonel Gift, an old time friend 
whom they knew to be in the city. 

The Colonel was soon found, who, after hearing 
the story of his young friend and asking who was with 
him, inquired what they had had for breakfast. 



The Gold Hunters of California 23 

"Eggs," was the reply. 

"Eggs! Eggs!" exclaimed the Colonel. "Did you 
not know, you blankety-blank fool, that hens lay 
gold in California?" 

"I did not, but I do," said our young friend. 

"Well," continued the Colonel, kindly handing over 
a fifty dollar gold slug, "take this and remember, 
after this, that you are not in Tennessee, where eggs 
are given away." 

In those clays San Francisco did not lack for places 
of amusement in the way of gambling halls. Chief 
among them was the old Eldorado, a large building 
on Kearney and Washington Streets which afterwards 
became the Hall of Records. The "Eldorado" was 
a typical western palace of amusement of that early 
time; being a gambling house, with all kinds of games 
played by all kinds of people. 

Gold coins of five, ten, twenty and gold slugs of fifty 
dollar values were not uncommon, while actual pyra- 
mids of gold bars were piled high on the tables, often- 
times representing in value, many hundreds of thou- 
sands of dollars. 

Games were unlimited. Bets from one thousand 
to five thousand dollars, on a single card, were not 
infrequent. The largest bet of which I ever heard was 
made and won here. 

A man, by the name of Moore, had been betting 
and lost over and over, sums aggregating several thou- 
sand dollars, on the game of faro. Finally as he turned 
to leave, the dealer asked: 



24 The Gold Hunters of California 

"Are you through?" 

Moore halted, hesitated, then turning and taking 
from his pocket a key, held it up and said: 

"I will bet you everything in my safe, which this 
key unlocks, on the ten." 

"How much is in your safe?" inquired the dealer. 

"I do not know, but it is a large sum. If you win 
take the key, open the safe and secure all the money 
you find there. If I win, we will go to the safe together, 
count the money and you must cover the amount," 
was the answer. 

The challenge was accepted, the bet made and Moore 
won something over forty-seven thousand dollars. 

Along the side of this gambling-room was a bar 
about forty feet long, where drinks were sold. Eight 
bar-keepers were required to supply the customers. 

Old John Kelly, the violinist, was employed at one 
hundred dollars a night to furnish music for the room. 
The old fellow would rattle off the 'Arkansaw Trav- 
eller," in his own inimitable style, step down from 
his place, take a drink then go on with some other 
as familiar or melodious tune; again descend for another 
drink and so continue till the atmosphere was a strange 
blending of whiskey and music. 

The boys, touched by some reminiscent chord sent 
forth by the old musician's hand, to show their appre- 
ciation of his skill would treat and re-treat old John 
until he could drink no more. 

The main floor of this gambling-hall, a space of 
fifty by a hundred and twenty feet was covered with 



The Gold Hunters of California 25 

tables. On the second floor it was the same, but fre- 
quented by a more exclusive set. All kinds of men 
were to be found here; men who had followed all kinds 
of occupations. 

One, who was engaged in running a faro-table, I 
remember, was pointed out to me as having once been 
a Methodist preacher. Younger sons of noble families, 
graduates from English, Scottish and American institu- 
tions of learning jostled against the most lowly sailor, 
mechanic and longshoreman; lawyers, doctors, mer- 
chants, and some prominent in historical affairs, el- 
bowed their way among desperados, cut-throats and 
petty thieves. A motley crowd, gathered from all 
quarters of the globe, mingling here in one common 
mass. Gamblers were the aristocrats of the day; the 
only men who wore "biled" shirts. 

Chinamen were a familiar sight, in those days as 
well as now, on the streets of San Francisco. Almost 
every day one could see a crowd of them, with their 
bamboo-sticks across their shoulders, loaded with 
burdens at each end, composed of their belongings, 
trotting along to the river boats, making their way 
into the interior. 

Chinese were the only servants to be had. Being 
deft and quick to learn, they were often employed 
in domestic service, for wages ranging from seventy- 
five to one hundred dollars a month. 

It was amusing to note that the first thing a China- 
man usually bought for himself, after arriving in Amer- 
ica, was a pair of boots; the largest size he could possibly 



26 The Gold Hunters of California 

get; perhaps a number eleven or twelve, padding his 
feet with rags to make them large enough to fill the 
boots. The reason for this was, that in China, only 
mandarins are allowed to wear boots, the size of the 
boot indicating the station of the wearer. So, it was 
with great pride that the poor cooly, when once in 
free America, donned this insignia of distinction, the 
clumsiness and weight seeming as nothing when com- 
pared with the satisfaction he felt in wearing the 
boots. 



CHAPTER II. 

After being in San Francisco about a month, I found 
employment with Cooke & Le Count, wholesale and 
retail book-sellers and stationers. Cooke had been a 
newsboy in New York and managed to cross the Isthmus 
by the first steamship in 1850, carrying with him 
twelve hundred copies of the New York Herald, his 
only capital. 

In one hour after landing he had disposed of all his 
papers at one dollar each. 

This enabled him to set up in business and establish 
a flourishing concern. 

The firm did a large retail and wholesale business 
in newspapers, books and stationery. Steamships 
arrived and departed bi-monthly. Every steamer 
arriving brought them papers by the thousands from 
the Eastern states and England. These sold at retail 
at twenty-five cents a copy; and at twelve and a half 
cents wholesale. San Francisco papers would issue 
a steamer edition for each out-going steamer, which 
they sold to the dealers for twelve and a half cents 
per copy. On each " steamer-day " Cooke & Le Count 
would sell over their counter, of these, from one thou- 
sand to fifteen hundred copies 

Nothing was retailed at less than twenty-five cents. A 
lead pencil, a dozen steel pens, and other like articles, 

27 



28 The Gold Hunters of California 

twenty-five cents each. A book costing seventy-five 
cents would easily bring two or three dollars, and so 
on through the list of retail articles. Wholesale profits 
readily averaged one hundred per cent. Profits in all 
lines of merchandise were equally large. 

The firm of Treadwell & Co. was doing a large hard- 
ware business. L. L. Treadwell, the founder, sailed 
from Boston in " Forty-nine," coming around the 
Horn. Some one credited him with twelve half-barrels 
of apples. When he landed in San Francisco apples 
were in demand. He readily sold out the stock at a 
dollar and a quarter a pound, which gave him a start, 
and he amassed a fortune. 

Sam Brannan was then reputed to be the largest 
real estate owner in San Francisco. His income was 
said to be ten thousand dollars a month from rentals. 

It was said that he joined the Mormons in Utah, 
in 1847, and was made their treasurer. The Church 
and Brethren handed over their funds to him as 
treasurer in the name of the Lord. He gathered up 
the coin and suddenly left Utah for parts unknown. 

After making a trip to the Sandwich Islands he 
returned as far as San Francisco, where he invested 
the money of the Saints in real estate. The Mormons, 
it is claimed, sent a delegation from Utah asking for 
a return of their deposits. Brannan informed them 
that all the money he had belonged to the Lord, and 
whenever they presented a duly authenticated check 
from the Lord he would honor its payment. 

Halleck, Peachy, Billings & Park was the largest 



The Gold Hunters of California 29 

law firm in San Francisco, at the time. John Halleck, 
a "West Pointer," was the head of the firm. He 
was afterward prominent in the Civil War, as the 
director of military events from Washington. Peachy 
lived and died in San Francisco. Fred Billings re- 
turned to his former home in New England. He 
became prominent in railway circles; and was one 
of the founders of the Northern Pacific Railroad. 
Trainer W. Park, a Bostonian, settled in New York 
city, and became identified with large industrial and 
financial enterprises leaving an estate of many millions 
of dollars when he died. 

Every member of this firm obtained his start in 
California between 1851 and 1856. 

The principal papers in San Francisco, then, were 
the "Alta Calif ornia," a Whig paper edited by Ed. 
Gilbert, who, not long afterwards, was killed in a duel; 
and the San Francisco "Herald" with John Nugent 
editor. Nugent was a bright man, a New York Irish- 
man, always dressed in the height of fashion, wearing 
a nobby hat and affecting a dandy cane, he seemed 
almost out of place among the bustling, whirling, 
stirring, badly dressed seekers after fortune that com- 
posed the citizenship not only of the city of San Fran- 
cisco but of the state at large. 

When I first saw him he was wearing his arm in a 
sling from the affects of a wound received in a duel 
with a man named Cotton. This was hardly healed 
when he challenged Tom Hayes to the field of honor, 



30 The Gold Hunters of California 

only to receive another bullet this time in the fleshy 
part of his leg. 

David C. Broderick, at that time serving as State 
Senator, was then and up to the time of his death 
the political boss of San Francisco. 

Page, Bacon & Co. did the largest banking business 
in the city, with Adams & Co. a close second. 

Adams & Co. were the expressmen of the state, 
having branches in almost every mining camp through- 
out California, carrying not only packages of mer- 
chandise and gold-dust, but letters also, at twenty-five 
and fifty cents apiece. Both Adams & Co., and Page, 
Bacon & Co. failed in 1855, during the general panic of 
that year, which was so severe as to close every discount 
bank in the city except those of Tallent & Wilde, and 
Drexel, Sather & Church. 

Wells, Fargo & Co., who had established themselves 
in a small way as expressmen, became the successors 
of Adams & Co., in their line of business. To-day, as 
is well known, it is one of the most substantial insti- 
tutions of the country. 

About the year 1850 James and Peter Donahue 
started a little blacksmith shop near the water front. 
They were industrious Irish boys from New Jersey. 
These boys made the acquaintance of J. Y. McDuffy, 
a gambler, who loaned them a thousand dollars with 
which to buy iron and steel, and they thus laid the 
foundation of their fortune. They afterwards pro- 
jected the gas works of San Francisco and founded 
what is known as the Union Iron Works. James 



The Gold Hunters of California 31 

Donahue died soon but Peter survived him long enough 
to build the railroad to Cloverdale, and San Jose. 

During the winter of 1852-3 all kinds of merchandise 
was sold throughout the state at the most extravagant 
prices. Flour was sold in San Francisco at fifty-five 
dollars a barrel, wholesale. Ham and bacon shipped 
around the Horn and so full of salt it took six hours 
to freshen it sufficiently to make it edible, was sold at 
thirty-five cents a pound; and butter also shipped 
around the Horn, salted in brine, sold for sixty and 
seventy cents, sugar at twenty-five and other things 
in proportion. 

When these articles of necessity were delivered 
and sold at the mines the prices were doubled and 
quadrupled. 

Workmen received good wages. Longshoremen, for 
instance, received a dollar an hour and mechanics 
from twelve to fifteen dollars a day. 

In 1854 I first went to Marysville, which was then 
the base of supplies for adjacent territory. 

Money was abundant. 

The great majority of the population being young 
men almost entirely without home restraint, they 
were fond of excitement and full of enterprise. 

Gambling houses and dance-halls did a flourishing 
business. 

Most of the goods sent out from Marysville, were 
packed into the mountains, although there was much 
teaming. The freight charges ranged from one cent 
a pound to as high as twenty. 



32 The Gold Hunters of California' 

Every day from two hundred to a thousand mules 
were loaded and sent out, besides the many teams 
that left the town for the mines in the foot-hills. 

Placer mining flourished. People were always ready 
to believe any story, however fabulous, pertaining 
to a new discovery of gold. 

A story was circulated, I remember, of the marvelous 
richness of Gold Lake, where, it was said, men could 
earn with pick and shovel from five hundred to a thou- 
sand dollars a day. Thousands left diggings where 
they were making from twenty-five to a hundred dollars 
a day for the new mining camp in Sierra county, only 
to find that they had been handsomely buncoed. Of 
course their old claims, on their return, had been seized. 

The same thing occurred in 1855, when half the miners 
of the north went upon a wild goose chase to Kern 
River in what is now known as Kern County. Again, 
in 1857, they left by thousands for Frazer River in 
British Columbia. In the last named place there 
was gold in a limited quantity but the best of it only 
paid ten dollars a day. 

In 1849 Andrew Goodyear located on Goodyear's 
Bar, on the Yuba River. Here he kept a small supply 
store at the same time mining on the river-bar. In 
November of that year Major Downie came to the 
camp and spent four or five days there, then went up 
the river four or five miles to what is now Downieville, 
prospecting for gold. In four days he returned with 
thirty-six hundred dollars in gold dust which he had 



The Gold Hunters of California 33 

picked out of the crevices of the rock with his jack- 
knife. 

Downie paid Goodyear twelve hundred dollars for 
two barrels of flour and offered twelve hundred more 
to have it taken up to his camp. Goodyear saw there 
was a storm coming on, so declined the offer, as he had 
to get his mules over the mountains and place them 
under shelter to prevent their being snowed in. Such 
animals were too valuable to risk losing even for so 
handsome a sum as twelve hundred dollars. 

Negro Tent was at the foot of the mountain about 
fifteen miles from Goodyear's Bar. In crossing the 
mountain Goodyear lost about half of his mules in 
the snow-drifts, but reached Negro Tent by evening 
and spent the night drinking whiskey at the price of 
one dollar a drink. Upon hearing him relate this I 
asked if he did not get drunk. 

"Get drunk?" he exclaimed, "Not on that whiskey. 
Those negroes must have bought a barrel of whiskey 
some time the previous spring and as fast as it was 
drawn out refilled it with water; so by the time I got 
there, there was mighty little left of whiskey but the 
smell." 

In 1849-50 almost all the mining was done by "rock- 
ers." In 1851 this scheme had given place to what 
was called a "long torn"— a wooden sluice twenty 
feet long, with cleats of wood in the bottom, into which 
pay dirt and gravel was shoveled. The gravel and 
debris was washed off while the gold remained in the 



34 The Gold Hunters of California 

bottom among the cleats. Some ground along the 
river, especially where it was "wing-dammed," was 
marvelously rich. 

During 1852 hydraulic power was introduced by a 
man named Laird, a Georgian, at Grass Valley. He 
had little more than a garden hose, the duck-casing 
being light. From this small beginning came the 
hydraulic giant of the present day, throwing its eight 
hundred to a thousand inches of water, washing down 
mountain-sides. 

In 1852 the "Live Yankee Company" in Forest City, 
Sierra County, discovered the "Ancient River Bed," 
where gold was found in a gulch and seemed to extend 
under a mountain which rose two thousand feet. They 
tunneled into the mountain-side and there disclosed, 
in the bed of an old river, great quantities of very 
rich river-gravel. This Company declared dividends 
to the extent of six millions of dollars. 

It is now a well-established fact that, at one time 
in the remote past, the rivers of California must have 
run in a different direction from that of their present 
course, and that a second upheavel of nature buried 
these ancient rivers beneath mountain ranges towering 
from one to three thousand feet high. 

The "Oregon," another mining company there, had 
claims which also proved very rich. 

This rich section came to be known as the "Blue 
Gravel Diggings," and ten years later the old river 
bed had been traced from Forest City, through the 
"Fur Cap," "Eureka" and "Montezuma" to "Wash- 



The Gold Hunters of California 35 

ington Camp" in Plumas County, a distance of fifty 
miles. 

Many miners spent years in running tunnels into 
the mountains in efforts to strike this ancient river 
bed at other points; some consuming two or three 
years in the task, and were rewarded, in a measure, 
by securing comfortable fortunes therefrom. 

The fluming of rivers was first commenced on Feather 
River, near Bid well's Bar in the year 1853. 

Some of these river claims were valueless while 
others paid enormously; and it was through this that 
I first became interested in mining. It occurred some- 
what in this wise. 

In 1856 my partner and I were the owners of a rough, 
wooden building, on Feather River, which had been 
used as a boarding house. A man by the name of 
Hart secured contracts to flume several claims on the 
river near us. The claims were the " Junction," "Nia- 
gara" and the "Ohio." Hart proposed to buy our 
house, and I offered to let him have it for six hundred 
dollars. Had he made me an offer of two hundred 
dollars he could have had the house. His reply to 
my offer was, that if I would take twenty-seven hun- 
dred dollars' worth of stock of his companies and would 
give him a thousand dollars as he wanted it, he would 
allow me seventeen hundred dollars on the house. 
This was in April, 1856. 

The bargain was made. 

About the twentieth of September the claims on 
the river were drained, and within the next six weeks 



36 The Gold Hunters of California 

I had realized from my investment about twenty-seven 
thousand dollars, when there came a rise in the river 
that washed out the dams and destroyed the flumes 
which put a stop to our mining for that time. 

Quartz-mining, at this time, was not a favorite 
industry. It had been prosecuted to some extent in 
Nevada and other counties of California, but the methods 
used were very crude. In using it the rock had to be 
very rich to make it pay, as the crushing of the ore 
was done almost entirely by arrastras ; sometimes run 
by water-power, but in the majority of cases by horses 
or mules. 

One of these arrastras could crush only about five 
hundred to a thousand pounds a day. 

Shortly after this came the introduction of the Chili 
Mills, built after the fashion of the arrastras. The 
Chili Mills were composed of two heavy rollers which 
were made of solid stones, from a thousand to twelve 
hundred pounds in weight. There were two stones in 
a mill. By this process the ore was first broken into 
pieces about the size of a hen's egg, before being intro- 
duced into the arrastra, as much as a ton a day could 
be easily milled. 

The first real quartz mill was erected in Mariposa in 
1850. The second in Nevada City in 1851; in 1858, 
there were 258 in the state, having 2600 stamps, only 
about 50 were successfully worked. 

They were crude affairs, most of them having wooden 
stems; but it was not long before these were replaced 
by those of iron. In these first machines the stem did 



The Gold Hunters of California 37 

not revolve. Only a few years elapsed before the mill 
which crushed only half a ton to the stamp was im- 
proved so as to crush from two to three tons to the 
stamp. At first these stamp mills ran not exceeding 
forty drops to the minute; the stamps were light, weigh- 
ing not more than five hundred pounds; and the amal- 
gamating process was done on the outside copper 
plates. 

About this time quicksilver was introduced into the 
batteries by George D. Roberts, in a quartz mill in 
Grass Valley, California, The discovery proved so 
universally satisfactory that it was soon adopted every- 
where. 

Quartz mining grew apace. Among the quartz mines 
located in the early days were the old "Allison Ranch," 
in Nevada County, the "Sierra Buttes/' in Sierra 
County and the "Plumas Eureka/' in Plumas County. 
All of these were rich and famous mines, paying their 
owners handsomely. 

In 1853 a man by the name of Brannan came into 
Grass Valley and located what was afterwards known 
as the "Rocky Bar" mine. He organized a company 
with a capital of $80,000, all of which was expended 
upon a tunnel, in a vain endeavor to strike a vein at 
a low depth. He called upon his friends for more 
money, for he felt certain of success in the end. Re- 
luctantly they yielded. $20,000 more was used. That 
gone, still $25,000 more of his own was expended, 
and still barren rock was his only reward. A fit of 
desperation seized the man; he could stand no more. 



38 The Gold Hunters of California 

He rushed home, killed his wife and three little children 
and finished the terrible tragedy by committing suicide. 
He left a note saying, that he felt that he not only 
had ruined himself but had impoverished his friends. 
Having no desire to live longer, and not wishing to 
leave his wife and little ones to the cold charity of 
the world, he had concluded to take them with himself 
across the border. 

The same tunnel which drove poor Brannan to de- 
spair was sold for a nominal sum to William and Robert 
Watt, two brothers, employed at the time in the camp 
as mechanical engineers. In two days after they com- 
menced work upon it, the ledge of gold was found. 
Its width was from six inches to four feet. At six 
inches the ore ran $1,000 to the ton; when four feet it 
averaged $50. And so these two young men mined 
away, until they dipped into another claim. Their 
dividends, before this time, had reached over $2,250,000. 

Two days' work but too often measures the distance 
between abject poverty and fabulous wealth. 

To illustrate the varying fortunes of those engaged 
in what has since become known as pocket diggings, 
or veins, I recall the following: In 1856 there was 
discovered in Butte County the 49-56, a quartz mine 
from which was taken $130,000 in five weeks, with only 
a small four stamp mill, and when this pocket was 
worked out no more was found. In 1857 a man by 
the name of Chandler took from a decomposed quartz 
vein in Yuba County $60,000 in three weeks, and 
bottomed the mine. In 1868 my brother, Wm. A 



The Gold Hunters of California 39 

Farish, and partners, took from one of the veins the 
largest nugget ever found in the state. At the time 
he was Superintendent of the Sierra Buttes Mine owned 
by Reis Bros., who placed him in charge of the property 
when he was only twenty years old, and under his 
management it paid handsomely. 

The following account of its discovery is given by 
my brother, John B. Farish: 

"I was a boy visiting my brother, Wm. A Farish, 
Superintendent of the Sierra Buttes Mine in Sierra 
County, California, when the big nugget was discovered. 
Jim Winsted, an old prospector and cattle man of that 
neighborhood, then told me the story of the discovery 
of the Monumental Mine, and, being a boy, the story 
sunk deeply upon my mind. He stated that about the 
year 1861 or '62, some merchants and operators from 
San Francisco were visiting at the Sierra Buttes Mine. 
As they were riding down the trail one of the mules 
became obstreperous and engaged in some frantic 
bucking at one point on the trail. The next morning 
some of the gentlemen returning on foot were noticing 
the way in which the mule had scratched up the trail, 
when to the surprise of all one of them picked up a 
little gold nugget worth about a dollar. They kept 
the discovery secret but prospected to some extent 
over the hill without finding the source from which 
the nugget came. Exhausting their vacation and meet- 
ing Winsted, they told him of their discovery and 
exhibited the nugget. Winsted, Wm. A. Farish and 
one other systematically prospected the hill, the method 



40 The Gold Hunters of California 

being to pan regularly across the hill, noting the points 
at which colors of gold failed to appear in the pan. 
After determining one such line, their pannings were 
made along a similar course at a higher point on the 
hill. Along this second course the limits of the gold 
were found at points nearer together than in the first, 
the lower line. The third, fourth and fifth lines were 
determined until two approximate lines were deter- 
mined extending up and down the hill, diverging at 
the bottom and converging at the top. Having deter- 
mined this they began sinking holes and trenching in 
the soft loam and at the apex and it was not long 
before they located a little narrow seam of very rich 
decomposed quartz. The quartz was thoroughly de- 
composed and sprinkled all through with gold. A 
sluice box was put in and during the summer some 
$25,000 or $30,000 was washed out from the surface 
gravel and material from the shaft which reached a 
depth of some 25 feet. At this point the crevice, the 
gold and everything seemed to disappear and though 
the shaft was sunk a number of feet deeper and little 
drifts were run in each direction, nothing of sufficient 
value to encourage further work was found and the 
Monumental Mine became a thing of the past. Winsted 
embarked in the cattle business and was quite success- 
ful in it until the summer of '68 when affairs went rather 
against him. One evening going down the trail from 
the Sierra Buttes mine to his home near Sierra City 
with a crow-bar on his shoulder and wondering how he 
could " raise the dust" he passed the old Monumental 



The Gold Hunters of California 41 

Mine, and it still being early in the afternoon, went 
into the bottom of the old shaft and with the crow-bar 
began churning a hole along what appeared to be the 
line of the crevice that had been so rich above. He 
dug the hole as deep as he could, pulling the dirt out 
with his hand. The dirt that was taken from the 
bottom of the hole he carefully tied in his handkerchief 
and carried it to his house where panning showed 
enough encouragement for him to do further prospect- 
ing. From this point on I was, as a boy, cognizant of 
the facts, which as I now remember, were as follows: 
Honest, as the old California prospector usually was, 
he notified all of his old partners, and the claim which 
had been abandoned and open to location by any one 
who desired to take it up, was re-located, all partners 
having the same interests they originally had. Two 
men were put to work, — an Irishman by the name 
of John Tierney, who had been educated for the priest- 
hood but who had retrograded, and a Mexican known 
as Mexican Frank. Sluice boxes were fixed up and in 
the first three weeks something over $3,000 was washed 
out. Wandering around over the hills, I showed up 
one afternoon at the mouth of the Monumental shaft 
just after the noon hour and saw Tierney and Frank 
in the bottom eagerly and frantically chopping and 
prying in a crevice about eight inches wide. I called 
to them to know what was the matter, when Tierney 
exclaimed in an excited way: "The whole bottom of 
the shaft is solid gold! Look at that!" And with 
that he held up a piece that was as large as his double 



42 The Gold Hunters of California 

fists which he had pried out. Young as I was, I told 
him that whatever it was to get it out whole and not 
break it up. They rather objected to this, saying 
that it would take too much digging and cost too much, 
but I insisted, and during the conversation my brother, 
Wm. A. Farish, appeared, and going into the shaft, 
supplemented my request with his orders. The nugget 
as taken out weighed 103 pounds. It was boiled in 
nitric acid for one afternoon and weighed 97 pounds 
avoirdupois after being cleaned. Some six or eight 
pieces of it varying in size from that of a single fist 
to that of a double fist had been broken off before the 
directions came to take it out whole. Had this addi- 
tional amount not been broken off, the weight would 
have been augmented by probably 20 or 25 pounds. 
They continued taking out the rich dirt in the bottom 
of the shaft until midnight, when it gave out as sud- 
denly as it appeared. The total production at this 
time was $56,000, of which the nugget formed almost 
half. One of the interests was sold in the excitement 
for what appeared to be a very small sum, but though 
the remaining owners did a great deal of work and 
expended quite a number of thousands of dollars, 
nothing more has ever been found in the Monumental 
Mine. 

These pocket mines were common in Maricopa, 
Butte, Sierra Plumas, Shasta and Trinity counties but 
hardly known in Nevada, Amador and Calaveras 
counties. 



The Gold Hunters of California 43 

The first quartz mill I ever saw was at the old " Ban- 
ner" mine in Butte county, near Oregon City, California, 
owned by Sparks and Smith. It was a twelve stamp 
mill, and could crush probably eight to ten tons a day. 
Their ore milled $200 per ton. They had a little cabin 
about 12x20 feet in which to transact their business. 
Twelve feet square, in front, was used as an office, 
and the rear room was used as a store-house for cham- 
pagne, which they very liberally distributed. 

The ore-chimney in this mine was about 400 feet 
long, with an average width of about four feet. They 
worked this down to about 200 feet, when water was 
encountered, and they were unable to further handle it, 
for lack of pumping machinery. 

So mine and money and champagne all gave out. 

It may be stated that placer and river mining were 
exhausted in the state in 1857, after which attention 
was directed to hydraulic and vein mining, both methods 
requiring large investment of capital in order to be 
successful in them. 

From this time on California was no longer the poor 
man's paradise, where he could get gold without the 
outlay of money. 

Many quartz mines were found and developed into 
paying properties, but the prospector shared only to 
a very small extent in the prosperity of the mines he 
found. 

But little was known of vein mining in those days. 
The education of miners, in that direction, may be 



44 The Gold Hunters of California 

said to date from 1859, when the Comstock Lode was 
discovered in what was then the Territory of Washoe, 
but now the state of Nevada, 

My first trip to the Comstock was in the spring of 
1860. The dangers attending those engaged in the 
primitive scheme of carrying freight at this time can 
best be illustrated by one of my own experiences. 

I had become the owner of a mule train and in May 
of that year took out to Carson City a cargo of freight 
on twenty-eight pack-mules, receiving therefor twenty 
cents per pound. After I had started from Marysville, 
I learned that the Ormsby party, comprising seventy- 
five men, had started from Virginia City to punish 
the Piute Indians for numerous depredations, and had 
been ambushed and nearly the whole party massacred. 
This news reached me at Downieville by letter. The 
owners of the goods I was carrying, instructed me to 
store the goods and return. 

Being young and inexperienced I did not realize 
that by obeying orders the owners of the merchandise 
were made liable for the freight whenever I could 
deliver the goods. After sizing up the situation I 
determined to go forward until I should at least see 
some Indians, feeling perfectly safe with my big navy 
revolver in my belt. 

My packers were unarmed. 

After leaving Jamison City and striking the valleys 
of Nevada, the country for fifty or sixty miles was 
deserted. The Indians had retired to their stronghold 



The Gold Hunters of California 45 

at Pyramid Lake, some thirty-five miles to the west 
of the road I was traveling and I passed through safely. 

In the meantime there had been organized three 
companies of volunteers from California, and one com- 
pany from the Territory under Col. Jack Hayes (famous 
in the annals of the Mexican war as the leader of the 
Texas regiment) to proceed against the Indians. 

After delivering the goods I went to their camp 
about 12 miles from Virginia City, where I was informed 
of the forth-coming tussle, and all were eager to meet 
the redskins. 

The fight took place about six days after this. 

Many Indians were killed with no loss to the whites, 
and so far as the Piutes w T ere concerned, peace was 
restored. 

After leaving the camp of the soldiers I traveled 
alone ahead of my train. Some 20 miles beyond 
Peavine I took the wrong trail which carried me to 
Long Valley near Honey Lake Valley. 

At ten o'clock that night, having traveled 90 miles 
that day, I unsaddled my mule and camped for the 
night. It was quite cold and to keep warm I covered 
myself the best I could with my saddle-blanket, for 
I feared to make a fire, the light of which might attract 
the notice of the Indians. From the lay of the land I 
felt quite sure that I was near their stronghold. My 
suspicious, I confess, caused me some uneasiness. 

At dawn I was astir, saddled my mule, and started 
out to prospect any cabin I might find for food, as I 



46 The Gold Hunters of California 

had eaten nothing since the previous morning. I found 
nothing; the owners had taken everything with them 
when they left. 

The Piutes were again at it. Not a white man 
could be seen in or about any cabin in the valley. I 
tried to fire my revolver but found that the caps would 
not explode. After riding about five miles I started 
back, when I saw in the distance three or four figures 
on horse-back traveling ahead of me. 

I knew they were Indians, because they wore no hats. 

Dodging into a ravine, I waited for the Indians to get 
out of sight. It was not the most pleasant waiting. 

Four o'clock in the afternoon found me back in 
Peavine. After taking a sleep I learned of the past 
night's Indian raid in Honey Lake Valley, where they 
had burned five houses not more than five miles from 
where I slept alone in my saddle-blanket. I con- 
gratulated myself on my escape; for I had no desire 
to be an Indian's victim and have my scalp adorning his 
wigwam. 

My train of pack-mules, in the meantime, had gone 
steadily and safely ahead. My men not finding me at 
Jamison City believed that I had been murdered by 
the Indians and were organizing a force to go in search 
of me, which was obviated by my timely arrival. 



CHAPTER III 

Upon my arrival in San Francisco, in 1852, almost 
all religious denominations were represented. Not 
alone in the metropolis but in all the leading interior 
towns. It was only a short time after this until churches 
were erected in all parts of the state. Catholic priests 
and protestant ministers in friendly rivalry vied with 
each other in diverting the thoughts and minds of 
men from the illusive pleasures of earth life and direct- 
ing them to the more solid and enduring treasures 
awaiting those who live and die in the Faith. 

Among those who were prominent in the fifties, as 
ministers in San Francisco, were Dr. Briggs of the 
North Methodist church, Dr. Scott, Presbyterian, 
Bishop Kipp, Episcopalian, Dr. T. Starr King, Unitarian 
and Dr. Fitzgerald of the Methodist Espicopal Church, 
South. 

Among the Roman Catholics was Arch-Bishop 
Allemany, who presided over the numerous priest- 
hood of the Pacific coast. Especially prominent among 
these were Fathers Burchard, Villigre and Gallagher, 
all learned and eloquent men devoting their lives to 
the advancement of Christianity. 

Dr. Fitzgerald, who has since risen to a Bishopric 
in his church, was elected School Superintendent of 
the state in 1867. He was a man of rare intellectual 
attainments and as a pulpit orator, sedate, earnest 

47 



48 The Gold Hunters of California 

and logical. In private life he was full of fun and 
frolic, possessed of great personal magnetism, not 
bigotted, but broad and liberal minded, tender and sym- 
pathetic, charitable in thought and deed he was much 
beloved by all who knew him; and more especially 
by the young people of the day. With these he entered 
heartily into all their innocent amusements, and by 
his wit and humor often made himself the life of the 
party. 

Public schools were established in California in 1853, 
I think. These gradually improved and increased 
in number as families multiplied and as the revenues 
for these purposes became greater. So, in the excited, 
feverish days of the early gold-hunters was laid the 
foundation for public morals and civic virtues, in the 
building of school houses and church edifices, from 
which have grown the splendid institutions of the kind 
that crown and bless the Golden State to-day. 

From the time of the admission of California into 
the Union, the state has been, and is, noted for the 
ability and brilliancy of her bar. As early as the 
fifties such eminent men as Stephen J. Field, S. Heyden- 
felt, Joe Baldwin, Hugh Murray, Joseph P. Hoge, 
Henry H. Haight, Eugene Casserly and many others of 
note, shone as legal lights and left the impress of their 
genius upon the litigation and legislation of the times. 

A Mr. Lawrence was the attorney for Palmer, Cooke 
& Co., a most able lawyer but very eccentric, as the 
following anecdotes of his life, as told to me by Mr. 
Palmer, will go to show. 




••*/»«^§ 



Finding the Bk; Nugget. — Page 4', 



The Gold Hunters of California 49 

At one time, after a night of drinking and gambling, 
he one afternoon called on Palmer at the bank, dressed 
in gray flannel shirt and over-alls, a broad-brimmed 
hat, a belt containing two six-shooters and a bowie- 
knife around his waist, and informed Palmer that he 
intended to leave on the afternoon boat for Sacra- 
mento and the mines. 

" Why do you do that?" inquired Palmer. 

''Because I have spent all my money and must 
earn more/ 7 said Lawrence, who never kept any account 
of how he stood at the bank. 

"Why," said Palmer, "you have not spent all your 
money, surely. Let me see." And turning to the 
book of daily account he continued, "You have a 
credit here of $5,000." 

"Have I?" asked Lawrence incredulously. 

"Yes, so the books show." 

"Well, then I will not go," decided Lawrence, who 
returned to his office and his practice of law. 

Palmer told me that he had always to keep Lawrence 
supplied with money. Lawrence never presented a 
bill for his services nor stated a fee. 

"I gave him money as he needed it, and he never 
drew more than the bank owed him," was what Palmer 
said to me. 

Lawrence left suddenly for Australia, and no one 
knew where he had gone. Palmer finally located him 
at Melbourne, by the following incident: 

One day while reading a Melbourne paper Palmer's 
attention was drawn to a noted case that was being 



50 The Gold Hunters of California 

tried in the courts there. The account stated that 
the attorney who was conducting one side of the case 
was very much surprised one day by a visit from a 
sheep-herder who gave his name as Lawrence. He 
said he wished to talk to the lawyer about the case 
in progress. The attorney supposed the man simply 
had some new testimoney to offer and gave him an 
audience, when, to his utter surprise this " sheep- 
herder " launched forth into a dissertation on the legal 
points, saying: 

"I have watched the progress of this case in my 
sheep camp, and believing you have justice on your 
side, would like to see you win." 

The lawyer became so impressed with the learning 
and ability of the man that he employed him as advis- 
ory counsel. 

Joe Palmer recognized at once in this sheep-herder 
of Melbourne his former legal adviser and sent a special 
messenger out to Australia to induce Lawrence to 
return. 

He made a brilliant record in the courts of California, 
and was on his way to Washington City to argue a 
land case for his clients, Palmer, Cooke & Co., in 1856, 
when the ship, the " Central America," on which he 
sailed went down. The brave Lawrence refused to 
leave the boat until all the women and children were 
provided with means of escape; and the last that was 
seen of that big-hearted, if eccentric man, was as he 
calmly leaned against the main-mast of the ill-fated 
vessel, quietly smoking a cigar. 



The Gold Hunters of California 51 

In 1852 San Francisco could boast of only one theatre, 
the Metropolitan, a primitive structure, indeed, com- 
pared with the theatres of to-day. 

It was situated on Montgomery Street, corner of 
Jackson, if I remember rightly. 

This was the first playhouse erected in the town. 
It was built, I think, by Tom Maguire. I have seen 
a note which was drawn by Maguire in 1850, in con- 
nection with this theatre, bearing 5% interest a month. 
I think the amount on the face of the note was $3,000. 
He had paid on it some $8,000, and in 1857 still owed 
about $15,000. 

At this theatre I saw Edwin Booth play as a stock 
actor, also Junius Brutus Booth, his brother; and such 
stars as the elder J. K. Hackett, Julia Deane Hayne, 
Julia Davenport, who afterwards married General 
Lander, who was killed in the Civil War, — Edwin 
Forrest and his wife, the Guggenheim sisters, Buchanan, 
James Stark and wife, the old Bryant Minstrels and 
others prominent in the theatrical world at that time. 

Maguire showed a great deal of enterprise in bringing 
such people to the Coast, considering the difficulties 
of the journey and the time necessary to be consumed. 

The theatre was largely patronized, not only in San 
Francisco but in the interior towns of Stockton, Sacra- 
mento and Marysville. 

About the year 1857 the new Bella Union, on Kearney 
Street, was started as a sort of music hall and Gilbert's 
Melodeon, not quite so pretentious, I think, about a 
year later. 



52 The Gold Hunters of California 

Lola Montez, who set the public tongue wagging, 
made her first appearance in October, 1853, at the 
Metropolitan. She attracted large audiences at the 
time and was the idol of the gilded youth of the day. 
She married an editor in San Francisco, but soon 
after her honeymoon, horse-whipped him and turned 
him adrift. Soon after this she settled in Nevada City, 
dying there a few years later. 

Before she came to California Lola Montez had been 
the mistress of the King of Bavaria. My recollection 
of her is that she was about five feet two inches tall, 
blue-eyed, dark hair; a fine form and full of fascination 
for men. While in Nevada City she met the Crabtree 
family, and taking a fancy to Lotta, then a very small 
girl, taught her to dance. Old man Crabtree settled 
at Laporte, in Plumas County, about 1856. 

The principal saloon in Laporte was kept by a man 
named Bona, who was a very fine violinist. Every 
Saturday night the miners would gather in this saloon, 
and little Lotta would dance for the crowd; and the 
miners would shower dollars, halves and quarters on 
the little girl; which greatly increased the fund in the 
family treasury. Lotta first appeared on the stage 
at Gilbert's Melodeon in San Francisco, in 1859, and 
in 1860, at the Bella Union. Every theatre-goer knows 
her stellar history. How she became one of the most 
profitable stars and it is reputed that she retired worth 
some $3,000,000. 

Ada Isaacs Menkin was born in New Orleans, and 
came to California in 1858, capturing the town by her 



The Gold Hunters of California 53 

realistic presentation of Mazeppa. She was a very 
handsome woman, and, like Lola Montez, most charming 
but inconstant in her affections. 

After playing in the different theatres of San Francisco 
she went to New York. I think she went in the company 
of Heenan, known as the "Benicia Boy, " who stood 
at that time foremost among the American pugilists. 

Heenan was a boiler maker, employed in the govern- 
ment works at Benicia. His great strength having 
attracted the ''sports" of the day, he was trained for 
the ring. From New York he sailed for England 
where he was matched with the great English fighter, 
Tom Sayers. Menkin accompanied him. 

Soon after reaching England Menkin deserted Heenan 
and returned to New York where she formed the acquain- 
tance of Jim Barclay, a California gambler. He took 
her to Paris, squandered a fortune upon her, and with 
her usual inconstancy, she deserted him for the elder 
Dumas, with whom she lived for a number of years. 

So infatuated was Barclay with her that when she 
died it was said he spent $30,000 in the erection of a 
monument to her memory and in the decoration of 
her grave in Paris. 



CHAPTER IV 

Life with the pioneers, or "argonauts," as they are 
now called, was in the early days in California a wild 
and exciting one. 

Young men full of energy and spirit of adventure, 
generous, often prodigal with their money, unrestrained 
by social ties, — as there were few women in the west — 
the embodiment of enterprise and courage, a perfect 
representation of the true American spirit of progress, 
they formed a complete antithesis to the Puritan 
spirit of the East. Here were represented every state 
in the Union, every civilization of the world. They 
heeded not the attractions of the valleys, great though 
they were; rich in agricultural possibilities, but were 
drawn on by the more seductive promises of fortune 
in "The Diggings." 

From 1852 to 1855 the steamships on each return 
were crowded with the fortunate ones who were return- 
ing home, each with what he called his "pile"; being 
fortunes ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. 

Lands were in a wild uncultivated state. A Spanish 
grant around San Jose could have been bought for 
fifty cents an acre. 

Wheat for a great many years, after it began to be 
grown in California, was shipped around the Horn to 
New York, and all the flour that was used was imported. 
There were no flouring mills in the state at that time. 

54 



The Gold Hunters of California 55 

Horace Davis, of San Francisco, founded and owned 
the Golden Gate Flour Mills about 1855. Mills around 
Marysville and Stockton were started about the same 
time. And the Chinese and Portuguese began to raise 
vegetables for the San Francisco market. 

Up to this time very little fruit had been grown. 
The first peaches and apples I saw in the state were 
grown by a man called G. G. Briggs, at Marysville 
and he received a dollar each for a peach or apple and 
at the same time obtained six dollars each for water 
melons. By his sales he laid the foundation for an 
independent fortune. 

Among those who have been identified with the 
early history of California, no man deserves greater 
credit than Gen. John A. Sutter. A more noble and 
generous-minded man has never lived. A native of 
Switzerland, yet he was a great friend to all Americans 
and America. At one time he owned almost the whole 
of Sacramento valley. In 1850-51 he fitted out, at 
his own expense, many relief parties to pilot the imi- 
grants across the Sierras into the valley, thus saving 
the lives of many people. 

Sutter lost his immense fortune afterwards and the 
state of California gave him a pension during his declin- 
ing years. He died in 1855. 

Many stories are told of this benevolent man, illus- 
trating his friendship and fealty to his friends. One 
will suffice here. 

During the winter of 1852 when Sacramento was 
a marsh, and drainage ditches had just been dug, 



56 The Gold Hunters of California 

one evening after a friend and he had been indulging 
a little too freely in the cup, they were taking a stroll 
before retiring for the night, when the friend inad- 
vertently fell into one of the newly dug canals. 

"I can not pull you out," said Sutter regretfully, 
as he looked down at his less lucky friend, "but I can 
come down and sit with you/' which he did. 

The first time I ever heard of Haggin & Tevis was 
in 1857. They were then lawyers and money lenders 
in Sacramento. Moving to San Francisco they gave 
up the practice of law and soon became prominent 
in the financial affairs of the city. They were never 
speculators, but developers of new enterprises; bold 
and daring in all their operations. They seemed to 
have adopted the advice of the elder Rothschilds to his 
son: 

"Be cautious in planning and bold in execution." 

Judging from their record as business men, the 
policy of Haggin & Tevis seemed to be when they did 
take hold of anything to push it for all it was worth; 
and so far as I know they never met with a defeat. 
They controlled Wells, Fargo & Co., for many years; 
and the prosperity attendant upon that firm is largely 
due to the executive ability of Haggin & Tevis. 

Tevis was the executive of the firm. A man of 
great nervous force, a pleasant smile and an encourag- 
ing word. All his tastes were those of a banker and 
promoter. Tevis represented the firm in most of the 
financial companies in which they were interested. 

They were business men and left no trail of dollars 



The Gold Hunters of California 57 

behind them. Although in all business transactions 
their word was ever sacredly kept. 

I insert here an incident which will illustrate the 
reputation which was borne by this firm at that time. 

About 1854 the firm of Haggin & Tevis had moved 
to San Francisco. 

A Mexican, who like most Spanish Americans, owed 
a considerable amount of money, was being harrassed 
by his creditors. He went to San Francisco and bor- 
rowed from Haggin & Tevis a sum sufficient to cancel 
all his indebtedness. A short time afterward, meeting 
a friend, he told him he was now financially easy. 

"How so?" exclaimed the friend, "have you paid all 
your debts?" 

"Well," replied the Mexican, "you see Mr. Haggin 
has let me have the money needed." 

"What did you give him?" next asked the friend, 

"A mortgage on all I had," the old Calif ornian 
replied. "I have given him a paper to that effect." 

"Let me see the paper."' 

The paper was produced. In it the Mexican had 
agreed to pay 3% a month, compounded monthly. 
The friend explained that if the man did not pay off 
the mortgage in two or three years Haggin & Tevis 
would come into possession of all he had or owned. 

After business hours each day Tevis could be seen 
taking a horse back ride, with one or more of his children 
on the road to the Cliff House near San Francisco. 

Haggin was strictly a business machine. The office 
man of the firm ; the one who attended to all the details 



58 The Gold Hunters of California 

attaching to their vast business; watching carefully 
the expenditures, and stopping all the leaks. It 
is probable that he originated most of their new enter- 
prises; for he was a bolder man than his partner, 
and was possessed of great self-confidence. Ready 
at all times to back his judgment in any direction. 
This assertion is demonstrated by the development of 
his vast landed estates in Kern County, and his many 
enterprises with the late Senator Hearst. All of which 
is referred to in another part of this book. 

Haggin was a man of set habits and of great mental 
absorption. At afternoons he usually left his office 
at 3 o'clock. Sometimes a brougham would be in 
waiting and he would take a short drive; but more 
frequently he would walk to his residence, with eyes 
fixed on the side-walk, seeing no one, hearing nothing, 
his mind apparently engrossed with thought upon 
some knotty problem not yet solved to his satisfaction. 

These two men, Haggin & Tevis, formed a strong 
combination; and it was said of them that they could 
command more money on short notice than any bank 
in the city of San Francisco. They were enterprising 
and public-spirited. Potent factors in the development 
of the state and of the Pacific Coast, generally. Tevis 
died a few years ago. Haggin, although an octogenarian 
is opening the Cerro de Paso mines of Peru, and is 
building a railroad across the Andes to reach them, 
one of the largest enterprises in South America. 

In 1854 the citizenship of Marysville was decidedly 



The Gold Hunters of California 59 

cosmopolitan. Every state in the Union, as well as 
every nationality was well represented. 

Count Rosseau, who had led a filibustering life in 
an expedition in Sonora, Mexico, a year or two previous, 
was there. A tall, slender man, with jet-black hair 
flowing over his shoulders, he presented the picturesque 
figure of a true soldier of fortune. 

William Walker, "The grey-eyed man of Destiny," 
as his southern admirers loved to call him, was practic- 
ing law there. During that year he organized a fili- 
bustering expedition to go to Costa Rico. In his 
proclamation he attempted to introduce slavery, which 
caused a revolution against him. He received much 
support from New York, New Orleans and San Francisco. 
The war was waged for two years with varying success. 
Finally he surrendered to a British man-of-war, which 
gave him over to the authorities of Costa Rico, who 
shot him without loss of time. 

As I remember him, he was a man about five feet 
four inches in height, well built, with a " bullet head" 
placed upon square shoulders, and weighing perhaps 
135 pounds. 

Stephen J. Field was the leading lawyer of the time 
at Marysville. He enjoyed a very large and lucrative 
practice of the law. In 1859 he was elected to the 
Supreme Bench of the state of California. At that 
time he had two or three suits in which I was a party. 
Two days before he left to take his seat upon the bench, 
having some business with him in reference to these 



BO The Gold Hunters of California 

suits, I called to see him. After some conversation, 
Mr. Field said to me: 

"Tom, do you know I am paying the people of Cali- 
fornia over $40,000 a year for the privilege of serving 
them upon the supreme bench of the state?" 

Then he went on to say that the year previous he 
had received in fees some $47,000. 

Then he placed his hands over his face as he solemnly 
soliloquized as follows: 

"Ambition! Ambition! Glory!! Glory!!" then looking 
up he cheerfully said, "Well, well, I suppose it will teach 
me economy to live on $6,000 a year!" 

George C. Gorham, afterwards secretary of the 
Senate of the United States, was at that time city 
clerk and private secretary to Judge Fields. 

He reached Marysville in 1852 as a member of a 
theatrical company. He interested himself a good 
deal in politics and became a power in the county of 
Yuba, as well as in the state. In 1867 he became a 
candidate of the Republican party for governor of 
California. He was defeated, however, by Henry H. 
Haight, the Democratic nominee, and was chosen 
secretary of the United States Senate in the year 1868. 

The old time trapper and mountaineer was also in 
evidence in those days upon the streets of Marysville. 

"Peg-leg Smith," a famous old trapper, I remember 
very well. He was then about 55 years of age, very 
hale and hearty. In one of his numerous Indian 
fights, his leg had been shattered by a bullet and he 



The Gold Hunters of California 61 

had amputated it himself; which will go to show the 
nerve of the brave old man. 

Another noted trapper was Jim Beckwith, a negro, 
who, joining the Crow Indians long before gold was 
discovered in California, had been made one of their 
chiefs. 

He was a fine specimen of the physical man; six 
feet tall, lithe, active, all bone and muscle, with features 
and general facial expression more like an Indian than 
a negro. His name is preserved in Beckwith Valley, 
Plumas County, California. 

Col. E. D. Baker, who commanded an Illinois regi- 
ment during the Mexican war made his first appearance 
in San Francisco some time in 1852. Being an ardent 
Whig he stumped the state during that autumn for 
General Scott. 

Baker was one of the most eloquent men I ever heard 
speak. He was known as a great criminal lawyer, 
and as such was employed throughout the state, receiv- 
ing fees from five hundred to ten thousand dollars in 
each case. This amount would last him but a short 
time, on account of his love for the "tiger." His 
wonderful ability as a lawyer, however, was conceded 
by every one. 

Upon the formation of the Republican party in 
1856, Baker became one of the prominent leaders 
of that party. 

The fight of the Democrats over the admission of 
Kansas under the LeCompton pro-slavery constitution 



62 The Gold Hunters of California 

in 1858 was waxing fierce and strong in the states of 
California and Oregon. Oregon held Indian scrip for 
money expended in suppressing the Indian tribes in 
that state, which, it was claimed was a charge upon 
the national government. 

Joe Palmer, of the firm of Palmer, Cooke & Co., 
suggested to Baker that it was a good time to go to 
Oregon, organize the Republican party and go to the 
Senate on that ticket. Baker thereupon admitted 
the ambition he had, also his poverty. Palmer in- 
troduced him to Loud & Hosmer, a wealthy liquor 
firm, who kindly furnished Baker with the " sinews of 
war," and he went forthwith to the field of active battle. 

To Oregon he went, organized the Republican party, 
and by coalition with the Douglas democrats of that 
state was elected, sure enough, to the Senate in 1861. 
He was made Brigadier-General by President Lincoln, 
still holding his seat in the Senate, and was afterward 
killed at the battle of Ball Bluff. His remains were 
brought to San Francisco and are interred in Laurel 
Hill cemetery. 

Among the " Argonauts" was Harry Meigs. Like 
all the rest he came to California as a poor man, having 
failed in business in one of the New England states. 
He was very successful for several years. Was the 
first to build saw-mills at Puget Sound, which supplied 
the city with lumber. Afterwards investing in what 
was afterwards known as North Beach, in San Fran- 
cisco, he built Meig's Wharf, at that place. 

At the time of my arrival in San Francisco, Meigs 



The Gold Hunters of California 63 

was classed as one of the rich men of the city. He 
built himself a handsome residence, magnificent for 
that day, at the foot of Telegraph Hill, on what is now 
N. E. corner of Montgomery and Broadway Streets, 
San Francisco. 

In 1854, chartering a vessel, Meigs suddenly left 
for Chili, South America, in a somewhat mysterious 
and questionable manner. It was said he carried 
with him an amount aggregating about $250,000. He 
was next heard of in Peru. Under the Peruvian govern- 
ment he became a contractor in the building of railroads, 
by which he amassed a large fortune. He sent an 
agent to San Francisco in 1868, who settled up all 
Meigs' outstanding private debts. It was reputed of 
him that he was most kind and hospitable to all Amer- 
icans who made their way into Peru, and of whose 
presence there he was made aware. His death occurred 
sometime in the 70's, and he left a large fortune when 
he died. 

In the latter part of 1851, John Parrot first made 
his appearance in San Francisco. A native of Balti- 
more, Maryland, but having spent a number of years 
in Mexico, had married a woman of that country. He 
brought with him about $200,000, most of which he 
had acquired in Mexico. He invested in real estate 
in San Francisco, and also established a bank in 1856, 
or thereabouts. Fortune seemed to favor him for 
many years, and he died leaving an estate worth 
$6,000,000 or $7,000,000. 
When I landed in San Francisco, Michael Rees, a 



64 The Gold Hunters of California 

native of Germany, was prominent. He began life 
in Richmond, Virginia as a peddler. Upon his arrival 
in California he became a money lender and dealer in 
real estate. His penuriousness was proverbial, even 
after he had become a millionaire. In this he differed 
from the regular Calif ornian. He led the life of a miser, 
watching every dime — for there was nothing less in 
circulation — he became one of the rich men of the 
state. Living in cheap rooms, denying himself all 
the comforts which wealth should give, his only relaxa- 
tion seemed to be a fondness for the game of poker. 
This he would play for high stakes and was usually 
successful. 

Toward the close of his life he indulged in the luxury 
of a horse and buggy, and used to take a ride out to 
the Cliff House every afternoon. At first he would 
invite some friend to accompany him. This meant 
that his friend should pay for the drinks, the toll and 
the hostler for the sake of the ride. 

Pretty soon this became so apparent that no one 
would ride with him. At the Turf House every after- 
noon they used to put out a lunch of doughnuts. It 
was not a long time before Michael located the doughnuts, 
but, to the innkeeper's disgust the old gentleman would 
turn up every afternoon just in time to empty the whole 
plate. The proprietor, believing he was a most unprofit- 
able customer, conceived the idea of preparing a 
more than usually seductive appearing platter of this 
indigestible article. He prepared a lot filled with 




Killed Them All Without Lowering His Kifle. 
Page 76. 



The Gold Hunters of California 65 

cotton. Michael made his appearance as usual and 
promptly fell upon the doughnuts. It took him several 
minutes to " tumble," to use the language of the streets, 
but when he did he fled, but, unlike the cat, "he never 
came back." 

In 1859, when Adams & Company failed, A. A. Cohen 
was their agent at Stockton. By some freak of fortune 
or misfortune, he was made the receiver in bankruptcy 
of the concern. Some creditors brought him up into 
court, and on his refusal to answer questions, he was 
remanded to jail for contempt. Adams Co.'s books 
could not be found; but a short time afterward they 
were washed up from the Bay in an old sack. But 
the account of the receiver had been carefully cut out. 
Cohen remained in prison for about eleven months, 
during which time he read law and got himself out of 
the clutches of the authorities. He was never after- 
wards jailed; for he had mastered the art of accumu- 
lating money in a legal way. 

He owned the ferry from San Francisco to Oakland 
when the Central Pacific was built and sold it to that 
company, he taking the position of purchasing agent for 
the C. P. This he held a few years when the company 
saw fit to replace him. He brough suit as one of the 
original owners of the stock in the company, intending to 
show up all the secrets of its directors in connection with 
the Contract and Finance Company. He conducted 
his own case and made it so unpleasant that Stanford, 



66 The Gold Hunters of California 

Huntington and others of the directors were glad 
enough to compromise and re-enstate him in his old 
position. 

Cohen was a queer character. In business grasping 
and unreliable, but still generous to the last degree. 
While in a business matter he would financially dis- 
embowel you, yet he gave away thousands to deserving 
charities. 

In 1854 I saw the first field of alfalfa, the seed was 
brought from Chili by Captain Pinney and planted a 
few miles from Marysville, to whom belongs the credit 
of having introduced this valuable grass into the United 
States. 



CHAPTER V 

Of the native population of California at that time 
some were outlaws, many wore indolent and lost 
their fortunes and property through contact with the 
live, bustling American, but many of these old, Mexi- 
can families retained and maintained their dignity 
and individuality, as well as their influence through- 
out the state and entire West. 

Mexicans of the lower class were the especial "bete 
noir" of that early, rude society; and, to be a Mexican 
of the "peon" class, was to be an object of suspicion 
on general principles. 

The following incident, which occurred at San Jose, 
will better illustrate this state of affairs than any de- 
scription I could offer. 

It was in 1850, when the Mexican laws were in force; 
and the stealing of an animal was punishable by death. 

A man by the name of Moore, who afterwards be- 
came a noted criminal lawyer, was "Alcalde." Before 
him was arraigned a Mexican, charged with stealing 
a horse. Moore listened to all the evidence adduced, 
and after hearing the statement of the Mexican, ques- 
tioned him as follows: 

"Do you smoke cigarettes?" 

"Si, Senior," came the reply. 

"Do you roll them, pouring the tobacco in your 

hand so?" illustrating. 

67 



68 The Gold Hunters of California 

"Si Senior/' answered the prisoner. 

"Do you re-roll the cigarettes, bend them in the 
middle, and when smoking blow the smoke through 
the nose?" pursued the judge. 

"Si, Senior," again responded the Mexican. 

"Take the fellow out and shoot him. He stole the 
horse, sure," relentlessly decided the judge in conclu- 
sion. 

Again, in 1853, near the old Central House about 
15 miles from Marysville, a Mexican was arrested, 
charged with stealing the horse he was riding. The 
complainant was a stranger and an American. A 
"Judge Lynch Court" was organized, a jury impan- 
nelled and the Mexican brought before them for trial. 

After hearing the evidence the jury adjourned to 
the bar, took a drink to "brace up," then repaired to 
the shade of a tree to deliberate upon the merits of the 
question. A motion was made to hang the Mexican, 
which was carried, unanimously. The jury then 
started back, having decided to render a verdict to 
that effect, when one of the jurymen said: 

"Boys, that horse ain't worth ten dollars, and I 
do not think we ought to hang a "greaser" for that 
small sum; why not whip him and turn him loose?" 

"Well," said the foreman of the jury, "we will 
think about it, Sam, you go and get a bottle of whiskey 
and bring it out, and we will go back to the tree and 
talk it over." 

Sam got a bottle, forthwith, after disposing of the 
contents of which the jury again repaired to the tree 



The Gold Hunters of California 69 

and reconsidered the case; this time concluding to 
whip the prisoner. 

After deliberating at length, the jury again was on 
its way to render a verdict, when some one suggested 
that the white man was a stranger whom none of them 
knew, and that it was only his word against that of 
the Mexican ; that a decent white man would be ashamed 
to own such a horse as that, any way; so once more 
the jury halted. 

Sam brought another bottle of whiskey, after drink- 
ing which the jury finally decided to render a verdict 
of not guilty, which they did in due form. 

The Mexican never knew how narrowly he escaped 
hanging; nor did he wait to learn. Just as soon as 
released he mounted his horse, and, with a kindly, 
if hasty, "Adios, Amigos," he gallantly rode away. 

There have been so many lives lost through the 
drinking of whiskey, it gives me real pleasure to record 
this one exception to the general rule. If it was the 
particular brand of whiskey used, and I knew what it 
was, I would give it here, with pleasure. 

One of the most formidable company of outlaws 
of those times was headed by a Mexican named Joaquin 
Murietta. His band of highwaymen was carefully 
organized. Murietta was a bold and daring leader and 
there was a touch of the romantic about his deeds 
that was very interesting. For about two years, the 
whole state, from Yuba to Kern counties, was ter- 
rorized by this band of daring men. Almost daily, 
during that time, the papers told of Chinamen found 



70 The Gold Hunters of California 

in the roads, murdered and tied together by their pigtails; 
their throats cut from ear to ear, which was recognized 
as the work of " Three-Fingered- Jack," a lieutenant of 
Murietta's band. 

Many and thrilling were the stories told of Murietta; 
and vast rewards were offered for his head. When 
the first reward of $5,000 was offered by the govern- 
ment, and notices to that effect were posted in the 
town of Stockton, one day, a quiet Sunday, in the 
afternoon there came riding into town a fine, pictur- 
esquely dressed Mexican. His six-shooter by his side, 
his "serape" thrown carelessly over his shoulder, his 
broad, Spanish hat set jauntily on his head, and a 
cigarette daintily held between his fingers, he might 
have attracted the admiration of any one possessed 
of an eye for the artistically romantic, in any land. 
This stranger was seen to dismount and read the proc- 
lamation of reward for Murietta's head. Then he took 
a pencil from his pocket, to write something under- 
neath. After he had ridden away some one went to 
see what the stranger had added to the posted bill. 
Imagine the wonder and surprise when was found 
these words: 
"I will give $10,000 more— Joaquin Murietta." 
Near Lancha Plana, a mining camp contiguous to 
Placerville, a former acquaintance of Murietta met him 
on the road riding. They trotted along, side by side, 
for an hour or two, conversing pleasantly together 
ail the while. Murietta stated that he wished to do 



The Gold Hunters of California 71 

this man no harm, but that he had some business in 
the country which he wished at present kept secret; 
at the same time warning his former acquaintance 
that if he went into town and made public the fact 
that Murietta had been seen, he would surely kill the 
man who told. 

Heeding not this timely warning of the Bandit 
Chief the man disclosed all that he had learned. 

Next day, while a posse was scouring the adjacent 
mountains in search of the noted outlaw, Murietta 
dashed into town, and, seeing the man who had be- 
trayed him, sitting in front of a store, rode up and 
suddenly shot him to death and then clashed away. 

Murietta had the sympathy of all the Mexicans 
in the state; for they ever felt aggrieved at the invasion 
of the Americans, who, they thought, had robbed them 
of their birthright. This made the capture of the 
outlaw and his gang very difficult. Posses were many 
times organized against him, always ineffectually. 
One of these he destroyed, falling upon them at night, 
when they were forced into pitched battle, and Murietta 
killed them all. 

Murietta was finally captured by Harry Love, in 
1854, who, suddenly coming upon their camp in Kern 
County, killed both Murietta and " Three-Fingered- 
Jack." The head of the Bandit Chief and the hand of 
"Three-Fingered- Jack," were preserved in spirits and 
taken to the capitol for identification. These grue- 
some objects were afterwards put on exhibition, and 
I once had a look at them. 



72 The Gold Hunters of California 

Next of note among the "robber barons" was Tom 
Bell. Bell had been educated for a physician, but 
changing his tastes he gathered around him as reckless 
a band of cut-throats as ever could be found in any 
country, and succeeded in keeping California in a state 
of perfect terror from 1855 to 1857. 

During the summer of 1856 Tom Bell and his party 
made an attack upon the Camptonville stage as it 
was approaching Marysville. Besides the passengers, 
the stage contained about $200,000 in gold dust. There 
were about twenty-one of the robbers armed with 
shotguns, loaded with gooseshot. 

The stage was driving leisurely along, near Stam- 
field's Ranch, when, suddenly Bell's band appeared. 
Bell ordered the driver to stop; declaring he would 
shoot any man who attempted to draw a gun. Bill 
Grear was the driver and by him sat Dobson, an express 
rider, a nervy little fellow, who did not wait to hear 
more. He drew his gun, fired and shot Bell through 
the body. Firing again, his next shot took effect 
through Bill Gristy's body; one of Bell's lieutenants. 
It struck him in the arm. Dobson continued until 
he had fired nine times, and it is said, he wounded a 
robber at every shot. 

The outlaws, of course, fired a volley into the stage, 
a negro woman was killed, while the driver was badly 
wounded. In the meantime the passengers crawled 
out, got their six-shooters to work and put the robber 
band to flight. 

Bell did not die of the wound received at this time, 



The Gold Hunters of California 73 

but was packed across the country by his comrades, 
and in a few months was as well as ever. 

Bell was captured in 1857. His captors gave him 
a half hour in which to write letters. They then hanged 
him to a cottonwood tree near by. 

Quite a reputation was established by Jim Webster, 
as a highwayman, about this time. He was said to 
have been a member of Bell's gang 

In 1854 he was working on Sand Hat, which is now 
known as Timbuctoo, Yuba County, Cal. He had 
two friends working a mining claim near him, and 
they, hearing that a party intended next morning 
to attempt to drive them off their claim, asked Webster 
to assist in defending themselves, knowing Webster 
was a dead shot. 

Sure enough, at sunrise the next morning six men 
appeared and ordered them off the claim. They 
refused to go. The fight began. Webster killed three 
of the assailing party, the other two escaped. Webster 
and his friends escaped uninjured. 

Webster was arrested and brought to Marysville 
on a charge of manslaughter. He lay in jail about 
six months before he was set free. During this time 
he learned to read and write. 

In 1856 in company with two others he was arrested 
for highway robbery. The principal witness against 
him was a man named McCoy. In Marysville the case 
was tried before Judge Bliss. While McCoy was giving 
his evidence, which was very conclusive, W T ebster 
rose from his seat and said: 



74 The Gold Hunters of California 

"You scoundrel!" and then with deliberation and as 
if he meant it he said, "If I had a gun I would kill you." 

A sentence of ten years was passed upon him by 
the judge. 

"You might as well make it twenty-five years, 
Judge," said Webster, turning to the bench with a 
sardonic smile, "for I never will stay in San Quentin 
for ten years." 

"Very well," said the judge, "if you will stand up 
again, I will make it twenty-five years, as you request. 
Politeness is one of my strong points." 

Webster did so, and obtained from the judge his 
request. He remained in San Quentin about six 
months. Escaping, he went to his old haunts about 
twenty-five miles above Marysville 

Visiting several mining camps, he took whatever 
provisions and ammunition he desired, leaving a note 
to the miners apologizing for the theft, saying, he 
needed both more than they did. 

After a few weeks he left this part of the country 
and Jesse 0. Goodwin, who defended him in the criminal 
trial, told me Webster went up into Shasta County, 
after that. 

While mining there, Webster quarrelled with his 
partner, telling him he would kill him on sight. They 
lived in separate cabins. Webster's partner had a 
double barrelled shotgun, which was kept loaded in 
his cabin. Webster visited the cabin during the ab- 
sence of the owner, and drew the loads from the gun; 
leaving the caps in. Webster's partner discovered the 



The Gold Hunters of California 75 

trick. He reloaded the gun with buckshot. Webster 
visited the cabin, drew his pistol when his partner 
seized his gun. "Webster, thinking the gun unloaded, 
waited for the first overt act. His partner fired both 
barrels, literally blowing off Webster's head. Thus 
cutting short the life of one of the most daring outlaws 
the state of California has ever known. 

" Rattlesnake Dick/' a Canadian, whose real name 
was never known, terrorized Placer, Nevada, and other 
counties during the years of 1856-58. A more desperate 
outlaw never appeared in the West. 

Joaquin Murietta ran the gauntlet of a posse lining 
the road by which he rode his horse at full speed, a 
dozen men firing at him. And Tom Bell dismounted 
at the Cottage House — a road house north of Sacra- 
mento—and after inviting the crowd of fifteen or 
twenty men to join him in a drink, drew his revolver, 
saying : 

" I am Tom Bell, for whom there is a reward of $5,000. 
Does any man want it?" Then coolly remounting 
his horse he rode away. 

But Dick, singly and alone, fought five men, all 
shooting at him, he returning their fire with two pistols; 
and escaped with only a slight wound. Subsequently, 
Dick had added a long chapter to his list of crimes 
and murders and robberies. He and a man by the 
name of Shelby, in a fight with a posse in Placer County, 
under Sheriff Bullock, killed Martin and wounded 
Johnstone, of the posse, and then escaped. 

Shelby was badly wounded, in this fight; and at 



76 The Gold Hunters of California 

his solicitation, Dick killed him; put him to death to 
put him out of his misery. Dick was subsequently 
apprehended in Nevada County, and hung, which 
was, I think, the first judicial hanging of any noted 
outlaw in the state. 

While there were outlaws in those days, there were 
also man hunters; men of nerve and daring, to uphold 
the law and punish crime. One of whom claims especial 
notice here. 

Steve Vennard was express rider for Wells, Fargo & 
Co., and was once suddenly confronted by three high- 
waymen, who demanded the express box he carried. 
After receiving it the robbers ordered the driver to go 
on. Vennard returned to the spot, within two hours, 
and took the robbers' trail. Suddenly the highway- 
men arose from behind a log and opened fire. Vennard 
brought his Winchester into action and killed them 
all without lowering his rifle from his shoulder. For 
this he was generously rewarded by his employers. 

For many years Vennard hunted outlaws and never 
failed to kill them or land them into prison. He still 
lives, or so I am informed, at the advanced age of 
eighty years. 

During the decade from 1860 to 1870, Virginia City, 
Pioche and other points in the state of Nevada wit- 
nessed many violent deaths from professional killers; 
all of which now belongs to the past. For now all 
the western states and territories are as free from 
crime as any of the older commonwealths. 

In 1860, La Porte, in Plumas County was a resort 



The Gold PIunters of California 77 

for hard characters; chief among whom was Jim Ivy, 
an escaped convict and noted burglar; and known 
there as "Jim Barton." Associated with him was 
Brown and Coffee, both criminals. 

At that time I had a store at Jamison City, about 
thirty-five miles away. One evening I came in to 
La Porte, and, going to a hotel, I gave my holsters, 
containing 150 ounces of gold dust, to the landlord to 
put in his safe. As I did so a man known as "Long 
Bar Joe" inquired if I were going to Marysville the 
next day. 

I told him I was not. 

He said "I am sorry; for I was going down and 
wanted company." 

I went out after this and returned about ten o'clock. 
Joe was still waiting. I made an excuse that I was 
going back home early next morning, and had just 
remembered another errand that I had not attended 
to, and went out again. I returned again about eleven 
o'clock only to find Joe still there, waiting. 

I told Bernard, the landlord, I was ready for bed 
and he showed me to my room. I inquired of Bernard 
when he closed his house for the night; and he said 
at twelve o'clock. I told him that I was going to 
leave at twelve thirty, and would call at his room 
and w r anted him to take my holsters from his safe 
at that time, and give them to me without striking 
a light. I charged him to say nothing, for I was going 
to start to Marysville and did not care to have it known. 

At one o'clock a. m. I left La Porte and reached the 



78 The Gold Hunters of California 

Woodville House, twenty miles away, about dawn and 
retired about two p. m. ; while taking breakfast, Spangler, 
the landlord, informed me that Barton, Brown and Cof- 
fee had passed there about three hours before ; and that 
the horse that Barton rode had cast a shoe from his left 
hind foot. I was mounted on a mule, and left for the 
Twenty-One-Mile House immediately. I easily tracked 
Barton by the shoeless foot for about ten miles, when 
much to my relief, I saw that the party had turned off 
the road to Forbestown; apparently following a mule- 
track, which confirmed my suspicions that they were 
after me. 

I retired soon after reaching the Twenty-One-Mile 
House, and told Martin, the proprietor, to wake me 
at four o'clock a. m.; as I wished to leave at four-thirty 
for Marysville, transact my business, and return the 
same night. At four in the morning I was aroused, 
Martin said: 

"Tom, you had better stay here to-day." 

I replied that I could not do so. 

When I had dressed and gone into the bar-room, 
Martin again urged me to remain and again I declined. 

"All right," said he, "your mule is at the door." 

As I mounted the mule Martin said: 

"Take that pistol from your holsters and put it 
where you can handle it in a moment." 

I took the pistol and shoved it down between my 
pants and shirt in the waist-band, and said: 

"How does that suit you?" 

"That is better," said Martin. 



The Gold Hunters of California 79 

"Now," said I, turning to him, "Martin, what does 
all this mean?" 

"Well," said he, "you look out, as you pass Abbott 
Hill, about a mile and a half from here." 

I mounted and rode slowly until I got to the top 
of the hill then, looking down, about one hundred 
yards, I saw three horses picketed and on closer inspec- 
tion I saw three men with their heads pillowed on their 
saddles, and their feet stretched toward a smouldering 
fire. I drew my pistol, intending, if they waked up, 
to open fire, believing that I could knock down one 
or two of them before they were fully awake, and so 
make my escape. It was now daybreak. The road 
was wide. The men were camped to the right of the 
road about fifty feet; and I, riding very slowly, took 
the extreme left. When I had passed the men some 
two hundred yards, I quickened my pace. I do not 
think that mule ever traveled so fast as then, either 
before or afterwards. 

About two hours later these men robbed a teamster, 
of $600 for which they were all three arrested, tried 
and sent to San Quentin, for a number of years. 

When I came to Arizona, in 1879, Barton, or Ivy 
had enjoyed about twenty Christmas dinners in that 
institution. 

I have had many narrow escapes in life but this one 
I consider the closest call I ever had. 



CHAPTER VI 

The proverbial pranks of college boys are tame com- 
pared to those that were indulged in by the early 
miners of the state of California. Almost entirely 
without the restraint or influences of woman, the home, 
the fireside and the family circle ; with plenty of money 
and little care for the future; the gaming tables and 
unrestricted saloons ever enticing them away from 
the better life, it is little wonder that some lives were 
wrecked; that some in the full flower of manhood and 
usefulness should have gone astray. 

And there were others upon whom this life of hard- 
ship and adventure seemed to have the opposite effect; 
those whose inclination for the good, developed and 
strengthened by the very surroundings; and whose 
characters were rounded out so full and firm that they 
left their lasting mark and imprint, not only upon the 
history of the state, which they helped to mold, but 
upon the whole nation at large. 

These " Argonauts" were not only pioneers in a 
new and undeveloped country, but, in all the lines of 
human thought and mental activity, left a well-marked 
trail, a credit to them and posterity. 

In no other country, perhaps, was business ever 
transacted with less observance of business rules. 
The merchant of San Francisco gave credit to the mer- 

80 



The Gold Hunters of California 81 

chant of the interior towns. They, in turn, supplying 
the traders of the mining camps beyond. 

Banks loaned money, almost exclusively, on per- 
sonal security and upon open account. The losses 
resulting were insignificant; for a man's word was his 
bond in those good old days. However hard and 
grasping a man might be, he was forgiven, but if he did 
not live up to his verbal agreements, his path was in- 
deed a thorny one. Every man's hand has raised 
against him. 

Quick to resent a real or fancied insult, too often 
the knife and the six-shooter were called into play. 

Justice winked at the taking of human life, but was 
intolerant of the burglar and the petty thief. 

Up to 1852 coin was seldom seen in the mining camps. 
Gold dust was the only money; valued, usually, at 
$16 per ounce. Drinks were sold over the bar at a 
pinch of dust — which was measured by the bar-keeper 
thrusting his fingers into the miner's sack and extract- 
ing therefrom what he could hold between his thumb 
and forefinger, for each drink. The larger the thumb 
and forefinger the better bar-tender a man was con- 
sidered to be. This custom prevailed up to 1854. 

On the mantelpiece of almost every cabin was found 
an oyster can. This the miner used to store his daily 
earnings in. Each day he poured into the can what 
gold dust he had washed out that day, never taking 
the trouble to conceal its hiding place. Strange as 
it may seem, each morning he went to his work, leaving 
the precious dust already earned thus exposed in the 



82 The Gold Hunters of California 

rude cabin where he lived, and not a can was ever 
stolen. In mining camps it meant death to steal. 

Practical jokes of all kinds, such as only men with 
money, independent and eager for any kind of amuse- 
ment to break the dull monotony of daily toil, could 
devise or invent were of every day occurrence in 
every mining camp. In Marysville, in 1855, there was 
a merchant named Crosby. An innocent, simple man, 
afraid of his own shadow, and decidedly out of sym- 
pathy with his environments. 

One evening Len Taylor, to make a little fun, invited 
this man to take a little walk in the outskirts of the 
town. Previously posted behind a fence for the pur- 
pose, were Grant Israel and another man who com- 
menced shooting at our friends with blank cartridges. 
Taylor fell, as if shot, and shouted: 

"Git, Crosby, git for your life." 

Away poor Crosby ran down the road, crying "mur- 
der" at every jump; rushed into the residence of 
Colonel Ransome, declaring that his friend Taylor was 
killed and he himself mortally wounded. With this 
the poor, frightened fellow threw himself, sprawling 
on the floor, seeming really to be seriously hurt. 

A doctor was summoned, who, after a thorough ex- 
amination, recommended a bath and a change of 
clothing. 

About this time was established, at Downieville, the 
ancient and honorable order of "E Clampsus Vitus." 
The initiation fee of which was made always to suit 



The Gold Hunters of California 83 

the pecuniary circumstances of the proposed initiate; 
and usually expended in paying for beer. 

Lawyers, bankers, merchants and miners were mem- 
bers of this institution. And when the gewgaw, a 
big horn, rang out, for miles around miners came, stores 
and banks and places of business were quickly closed 
and all their managers soon repaired to the "Clampus 
Hall." The sounding of the gewgaw meant that a 
"sucker" had been caught and there were fun and 
beer ahead. 

The candidate was prepared for the initiation by 
being divested of most of his clothing, then blind- 
folded. In this condition he was led around the hall, 
stopping at different points where he was catechised 
and lectured in a most fatherly way, by the different 
officers of the body. About the time he became worked 
up to the solemnity of the occasion, a strap with a 
ring attached, having been silently placed about his 
body, he would find himself suddenly lifted to the 
ceiling and then as suddenly dropped into a wheel- 
barrow, purposely prepared for his reception, in which 
had been placed large sponges saturated with ice water. 
The victim would be held thus securely in place while 
the wheel-barrow was run around for a hundred feet 
or more over a rough construction of round poles, 
jolting the wheel-barrow and keeping the victim bob- 
bing up and down in a most ridiculous manner, on 
his ice-cold cushions. During this performance the 
members and spectators sang the while: 



84 The Gold Hunters of California 

"Ain't you mighty glad to get out of the wilderness — 
Get out of the wilderness, 
Get out of the wilderness?" 
Etc. 

Sometimes these initiation ceremonies extended over 
several hours. And by the time they got through 
with him the new member would feel certain that he 
had paid well for the entertainment of his friends; 
while he, himself, had added to his store of useful 
knowledge and experience. 

Invariably the new member would steal out of town, 
humiliated and crestfallen, to appear again only when 
he could produce some new candidate or victim for 
admission to the order. 

Again, at Oroville, Butte County, in 1857, there were 
gathered a company of young men, educated, bril- 
liant, generous and optimistic — types of Californians 
of the early times. The hotel was kept by a man 
named Montgomery. Turkeys were scarce and high- 
priced, worth from six to twelve dollars apiece. Thanks- 
giving day was approaching, and Montgomery needed 
more turkeys than he had. He had five secured, but 
they were not enough. In order to fully supply his 
guests he would require several turkeys more for the 
Thanksgiving feast. One evening while the "boys" 
were at the hotel a man appeared with three turkeys, 
saying they were intended as a present to Dr. Burlin- 
game, one of the party. Montgomery at once saw 
his opportunity and opened negotiations for the pur- 
chase of the birds. He finally affected a trade, without 



The Gold Hunters of California 85 

much trouble, paying for them with a generous basket 
of champagne, which was imbibed and enjoyed by all 
the "boys" present. 

Next morning, when Montgomery came to investi- 
gate his supply of Thanksgiving turkeys he found only 
the original number of five. The man had bought 
three of his own turkeys. 

"Well," said the good-natured host, when he learned 
of the joke that had been played on him, "boys, it 
was a good one on me; and to show you that I bear 
no malice, I will have a separate table prepared for 
you on Thanksgiving day, and you shall have one 
of the turkeys served up for your special delecta- 
tion. 

The day came. The parties were all on hand, ready 
for the promised treat. The huge turkey was roasted 
to a turn. But the dressing! It certainly had a flavor 
peculiar to itself. Not sage, oysters or chestnuts was 
mingled in it. None of these could have produced 
that unpleasant compound. It was something alto- 
gether new and unheard of in the way of stuffing for 
a turkey. The turkey was eaten with a relish but all 
passed the dressing by, with compliments to the "chef." 
They all agreed that he had given it too rich a French 
flavor for such Plebean tastes to fully appreciate and 
enjoy. 

Afterwards, these men, who had fared so sumptuously, 
learned that the peculiar dressing of that turkey was 
nothing less than the gatherings from the horses' 
stalls. As rough as this joke may seem, all received 



86 The Gold Hunters of California 

it in good part and voted the landlord a prince of good 
fellows. 

The author of "The Virginian,'' has woven into his 
story "The mixing of the babies." The incident actu- 
ally occurred. 

At Gibsonville, in 1857, at which time there were 
few women to be found in any mining camp. Gibson- 
ville was the center of many mining camps, from 15 
to 20 miles around. Girls of fifteen were all married 
and some were mothers at that early age. 

A "Fourth of July Ball" was given, and by exten- 
sive advertising and arranging some fifty ladies were 
present at the party. They came on mule back from 
"Rabbit Creek/' "Nelson Point," "Whiskey Dig- 
gings," "Brandy City," "St. Louis," "Port Wine" 
and other noted places of the surrounding country; 
many of them bringing their babies along, for whose 
accommodation there had been secured and prepared 
a room at the principal hotel of the town. 

As there were several hundred miners present, and 
only this limited number of ladies, as might be expected, 
many of the men were left without partners and were 
thus cheated out of dancing. Being sorely disap- 
pointed, when they had anticipated such a good time, 
some of them devised a plan to get even. 

It was decided that these disappointed ones should 
repair to the hotel where slept the innocents, invade 
their quarters and so exchange their places and mix 
the babies in such a manner that no mother in her 
hurry after the ball would be able to get the infant 



The Gold Hunters of California 87 

that belonged to her. This they did. The wraps 
alone were left in the same places, so that the general 
appearance was about the same as when the mothers 
left the babies there. The festivities ended, the mothers 
rushed in to get their babes, and hurriedly started 
for their homes. Each grabbed up a child from the 
place where she had put hers down, and hastened, 
unsuspecting, away. 

Imagine, if you can, the surprise and consternation 
of each mother, when upon reaching home she discovered 
the mistake she had made. Here was a hearty, black- 
eyed boy where should have been a dainty blue-eyed 
girl, and vice versa, in another place. 

There was a hurrying and a scurrying all over that 
section for many days before each infant found the 
home where it belonged. 

No one was sacred enough to escape the attacks of 
these practical jokers and pranks of good-natured fun. 
Such pastimes together with original modes of entertain- 
ment furnished the only amusements of the old time 
Californians. 

LITERARY MEN JOKERS 

In the old Virginia City clays Mark Twain was a 
conspicuous figure. Fond of listening to a yarn, 
fond of telling one, always good natured, with not a 
care in his life, a general favorite among the boys, 
his presence was always sought whenever there gathered 
a jovial crowd. Mark was also recognized as a most 
skillful and successful practical joker. While there 



88 The Gold Hunters of California 

was never the shadow of malice in his jokes, any more 
than there was in those of the older Sothern, or Billy 
Florence, still his manner had the effect of arousing 
in his victims a desire to "get even." As a conse- 
quence the following plan was laid by a number of 
them to perpetuate a joke on the unsuspecting Mark 
one time. 

It was known that Mark expected, on a certain 
morning, to go by stage to San Francisco. The boys 
entered into an agreement and understanding with 
the driver and express rider, whereby the boys were 
to personate highwaymen and "hold up" the stage 
at a certain point on the road. They knew that Mark 
was the only passenger for that day. 

On Geiger Grade, about five miles from Virginia 
City, from behind a heavy ledge there suddenly rushed 
a dozen seemingly ferocious outlaws. So well had 
the affair been prepared and rehearsed, that Mark 
Twain was completely deluded. He thought he saw 
and understood the situation perfectly. 

The horses were securely held by some of the acting 
bandits, while the driver was completely stricken 
with seeming paralysis, and the express rider jumped 
from the seat and hid behind a rock. The noted 
humorist being left thus quite alone in the deserted 
stage, scrambled out of the door, only to be firmly 
clutched by the arm before he had time to offer any 
resistance whatever. 

The pseudo-robbers took from Mark his watch, 
scarf-pin, overcoat and every cent of money he had; 



The Gold Hunters of California 89 

turned his face toward Virginia City and said in the 
most approved style of stage-robber vernacular: 

"Git, and git quick." 

Advice which Mark took with alacrity and thank- 
fulness; and "got" as fast as he could back to Vir- 
ginia City, a distance of five miles, being almost frozen 
by the time he reached there, as the weather was very 
cold. 

Of course he was not long left in ignorance of the 
joke that had been played at his serious expense, 
and accepted it as gracefully as became his station, 
and felt wiser, no doubt, than when held up by the 
New York cabman in 1901. 

Mark Twain is too well known to need much of an 
account at my hands, still, it might be interesting to 
relate some of the incidents with which he was iden- 
tified in those early times of which I write. 

Accompanying the Beecher party on their visit to 
the Sandwich Islands, during the seventies, Mark 
Twain was the traveling correspondent for the Alta 
Californian, as well as of some eastern papers. Upon 
his return he made his first appearance upon the lecture 
platform at Piatt's Hall, San Francisco, taking the 
Sandwich Islands as his theme. 

The posters announcing this lecture read: 

"The doors will open at seven o'clock and the trouble 
will begin at half-past seven." 

The hall was densely packed. So crowded that the 
last man in had to leave his cane on the outside. 

The lecture was replete with quaint expressions 



90 The Gold Hunters of California 

and humorous allusions, delivered in that halting 
voice and inimitable manner which, in Mr. Clemens, is 
so perfectly irresistible, and which kept the audience 
in a roar of laughter during the whole time. 

This was the first of Mark Twain's many triumphs. 
For thirty years he has delighted the English-speak- 
ing world with the originality and versatility of his 
genius. California claims this brilliant son by right 
of discovery. He is greatly appreciated in Berlin and 
Vienna for his wit in German, he being a master of 
the language. 

Every old Calif ornian will remember Lieutenant 
Derby, more familiarly known as "John Phoenix/' 
the author of the "Squibob Papers," and of "Phoenix- 
iana." 

He was an army officer, and one of the greatest 
humorists of his day. A pioneer in that particular 
field of literature which Mark Twain has since so fully 
explored. Derby was a familiar figure on the streets 
of San Francisco in 1852. I have seen him often, 
but as I was quite young at the time, can give but a 
poor description of his personal appearance. He 
was tall and spare, with the military air of the trained 
soldier. Two or three times a week Derby contributed 
humorous sketches to the San Frisco Herald, under 
the "nom de plume" of "Squibob," or "John Phoenix." 
The Herald was then the leading daily paper of the 
city. 

Derby was not only a humorist, but also a practical 



The Gold Hunters of California 91 

joker. His good-natured tricks were played upon all 

alike. 

Once he invited Mr. Grisar, who was the Belgian 
Consul in California at that time, to visit with him 
the Masonic Lodge. Grisar was not very familiar 
with the English language, and could only with diffi- 
culty make himself understood. 

As a joke, but seemingly very serious, when the 
two gentlemen were seated in the room, Derby re- 
fused to vouch for Grisar, who was, of course, con- 
sequently put through a most rigid examination. 

At another time, Derby invited a friend to visit 
him at the Barracks in Benicia. On arising the next 
morning the friend missed his boots, but found in 
their place a pair of army shoes. Derby did not ap- 
pear upon the scene until several hours later, but 
when he did he was wearing the boots; the friend in 
the meantime having put on the shoes. 

Derby looked at the shoes quizzically, then quietly 
remarked : 

"I see you have appropriated my shoes, you may 
keep them, for I found these boots this morning, which 
come in good time, for a poor army officer with a 
family can ill afford to buy boots at $25 a pair." 

He kept the boots just as if he believed them to 
have been intended for him. 

Derby belonged to the engineers' corps of the army; 
and after the election of Pierce to the presidency, 
in 1852, when Gen. Scott carried only four states 



92 The Gold Hunters of California 

Derby had occasion to send to Washington some maps 
which were necessary. The corners of these maps 
were adorned with the most ludicrous decorations. 
In one corner, for instance, there appeared the Demo- 
cratic rooster crowing from the top of a flag-pole, 
while the Whig coon was hanging head downward, 
dead, beyond the hope resurrection. 

In another corner was General Scott, taking a hasty 
plate of soup, the plate uplifted to his mouth and the 
contents pouring over his clothes. Still another cor- 
ner was adorned with a picture of Pierce, thrown from 
his horse in one of the battles of Mexico, and many 
other such, all well executed and illustrating some 
incident in the recent campaign. 

In 1853 Derby was stationed at San Diego. A 
man by the name of Ames owned and edited the San 
Diego Herald, a Democratic paper, and John Bigler 
was the Democratic candidate for governor, while 
William Waldo was the Whig candidate for the same 
office during the same campaign. 

Ames, the editor, was called away to San Francisco, 
and before leaving secured the services of Derby, the 
joker, to manager the Herald during his absence. 

In the first issue of the paper after Ames' departure, 
Derby changed the politics, as well as the names of 
the gubernatorial candidates. He printed the Whig 
ticket headed by "William Baldo/' and underneath 
it was the Democratic ticket with "John Wigler" at 
its head, up-side-down. In a jocular way he praised 



The Gold Hunters of California 93 

Mr. "Baldo" and the Whig party, advising his readers 
to beware of "John Wigler," the presumed Democratic 
candidate, as a wolf in sheep's clothing, whose election 
would be most disastrous to the state. 

In the next issue of the Herald he said that the 
sudden change in the politics of the paper had sub- 
jected him to so much harsh criticism he had decided 
to make it a neutral paper. 

"You Whigs," he said, "who desire the election of 
'William Baldo' will find editorials in his behalf on the 
second page of this paper, and you Democrats will 
find editorials in support of 'John Wigler' on the first 
page." 

Ames did not long remain in San Francisco; he 
hurried home, but did not arrive until Derby had 
issued a third edition of the paper. And in this one 
he declared that there was neither money nor fame in 
a political paper, so he would make this number an 
illustrated pictorial. 

One of the "pictorials" was "A bird's-eye view of 
San Diego," which was a snipe in a marshy ground. 
"The San Diego gas works" was a jug of whiskey. 
The steamer "Goliath," which ran between San Fran- 
cisco and San Diego, was represented by a turtle turned 
back downward. A portrait of Prince Albert, "said 
to be the father of many of Queen Victoria's children," 
was illustrated by the head of a bull. And so on until 
the paper was filled with comical representations of 
different subjects equally as absurdly pictured. Wliile 



94 The Gold Hunters of California 

the editorial comments were humorous in the extreme. 

The paper, thus illustrated, sold in San Francisco 
for one dollar per copy. 

About that time Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of 
War, requested the officers of the engineering corps 
to offer suggestions as to the re-armament and uniform- 
ing of the army. Derby responded by recommending 
the following: 

That all the infantry should have a ring securely 
attached to the seat of each pair of trousers, and that 
the officers should be provided with long poles with 
hooks on the end; so that when a soldier attempted 
to run the officers would only have to insert the hook 
in the ring and wheel the man immediately back into 
line. With the army thus equipped, he gravely argued, 
the officers could always prevent a panic in the lines, 
and at the same time the officers would be afforded, 
to some extent, a protection, as their places would then 
be behind the soldiers. 

Another of Derby's suggestions for the army was, 
that as heavy ordnance was of little value, what was 
really needed was light, rapidly-firing cannon. He 
thought a good plan would be to have them so made 
that two could be packed on a common donkey; one 
on his back with the mouth of the cannon pointing 
between his ears, the other underneath with the mouth 
pointing between his hind legs. The gun thus ar- 
ranged, the one on the back of the jackass being fired 
first would, by the concussion when discharged, lift 
the animal in the air and throw him on his back; in 



The Gold Hunters of California 95 

this position the other gun would be ready to do its 
work, by which explosion the donkey would be thrown 
again to his feet, when the men could reload the guns 
and thus go on, indefinitely, firing the double action 
arrangement as long as the engagement might last. 

He made other equally amusing suggestions, many 
about the cavalry which I do not recall. All were 
comically illustrated by elaborate and ludicrous draw- 
ings, and forwarded to the department at Washington. 
Copies of these, with the accompanying communica- 
tions to the Secretary of War, were on exhibition in 
the office of Dr. Hitchcock, in San Francisco, for an 
extended time; and were fully enjoyed and appreciated 
by the jolly, fun-loving citizens of that city at least. 

It was said that when Davis received Derby's com- 
munication with recommendations and illustrations 
he was incensed and indignant at what he considered 
an attempt to ridicule a superior officer, and ordered 
that Derby be court-martialed for the offense. For- 
tunately, William L. Marcy, Secretary of Stale at 
that time, happened in the office, when Davis produced 
the letter and pictures for examination, at the same 
time remarking: 

"I have ordered the man court-martialed for this 
presumption." 

Marcy carefully scrutinized the papers, laughed 
most heartily, and said in reply: 

"Jeff, don't do it. That fellow is a genius. If he is 
court-martialed for this, and these cartoons and letter 
are reproduced in all the newspapers of this country 



96 The Gold Hunters of California 

and England — as would surely be the case — this ad- 
ministration will be made the laughing-stock of the 
civilized world." 

Marcy's judgment prevailed and Derby was left 
without molestation. 

In 1854, or 1855, Derby went East and became 
contributor to the old " Knickerbocker Magazine." 
Afterward he became insane, and died in an asylum, 
while still a young man. 

Derby was of a quiet, sedate manner and of sober 
countenance, possessed of a keen and ready wit ac- 
companied with an inexhaustable fund of humor that 
made him the life of every gathering. 

He shared to some extent the prejudice of the 
trained soldier against the militia. It is said of him 
that at a dinner in San Francisco he once gave this toast: 

"Here is to our citizen soldiery! Invincible in peace, 
invisible in war." 

His practical jokes partook of nothing unkind, but were 
rather the effervescence of a nature simply bubbling 
over with fun and merriment. His early death was sin- 
cerely regreted by all Californians, who felt a natural 
and excusable pride in him as the first noted wit and 
humorist of the Golden State. 

Had not his life been cut short there is little doubt 
that the name of "John Phoenix" would have ranked 
high in the world of humorous literature, and the 
name of Lieutenant Derby been immortalized. 

Bret Harte was a Californian. Amid the surround- 
ings of the Golden State his genius was developed, 




Senator David C. Broderick. — Page 108. 



The Gold Hunters of California 97 

and in his short stories and poems he has given living 
pictures of the life in the mining camps of those times — 
times when gold was plenty, and those who dug it out 
were careless as to how they spent it. His characters 
are real. His men and women, even to the " Heathen 
Chinee, child-like and bland," are recognized as a part 
and parcel of the civilization he describes. 

Bret Harte began his literary career as a contributer 
to the Golden Era, in 1854, a weekly literary paper pub- 
lished in San Francisco. I have been told that he enjoyed 
the friendship of Mrs. Fremont, who secured for him 
a position in the custom house, which enabled him to 
give his odd hours to literary pursuits. His prose and 
poetry of California life, so rich in humor and yet so 
deeply pathetic are certainly the finished work of a 
true artist. 

It is only when he attempts to paint life elsewhere 
that his writings are dull. His "Luck of Roaring 
Camp/' his "Heathen Chinee" and "Truthful James" 
would, even had he never written any other thing, 
have proven sufficient to entitle him to a choice place 
among the artists of the last century. 

Sam Davis, of Virginia City, is noted for his fun 
making. He edits the Enterprise of Virginia City, 
and has a local reputation as a humorist. 

Sam is also a practical joker. About thirty years 
ago, Sam, being in San Francisco was employed by 
the Chronicle to report a race between "American 
Girl" and "Goldsmith's Maid," which was to take 
place at San Jose. He did it in this wise. 



98 The Gold Hunters of California 

Sam went down to the place of the races and his first 
dispatch to the paper gave an account of the gathering 
of the crowd; the second a description of the horses, 
and their appearance on the track. The third dispatch 
an account of a fearful earthquake, in which one hun- 
dred houses of San Jose were leveled to the ground and 
five hundred lives lost. 

The Chronicle issued an extra. San Franciscans, 
having friends in San Jose, literally burned the wires 
up in frantic efforts to ascertain if those dear to them 
were safe; after which he reported the race. 

When he handed in his bill for this article to the 
Chronicle it read: 

Reporting races at San Jose $25 . 00 

Sensation 75 . 00 



Total, $100.00 

This account, I suppose, was paid. 

Bayard Taylor published in 1852, his travels through 
California. 

J. Ross Brown was a resident of the state for several 
years before the Civil War, and printed many sketches 
in Harper's Magazine, illustrating life on the Pacific 
Coast. 

"Artemus Ward" visited San Francisco in 1862, and 
delivered there his famous lecture, "The Babes in the 
Woods." 

While there "Artemus Ward" received a dispatch 



The Gold Hunters of California 99 

from an eastern manager, relative to that lecture, 
that read like this: 

"What will you take for one hundred nights?" 

The answer was sent back: 

"Brandy and water." 

One of the best Muenchausen humorists I ever knew, 
was a miner by the name of George Slocum. In 1864, 
while I was superintendent of the "Plumas Eureka" 
mine, I met him in Jamison City. Slocum was fol- 
lowed by his cat and informed me that he had sold 
his claim, his cabin and other effects, preparatory 
to trying his luck in other fields, and that he wanted 
to sell his cat. 

"It is the wisest animal you ever saw," said he. 
"Why, during the big storm last winter, you remember 
it, and that it lasted three weeks, snowing all the time? 
Well, my cat was my only companion during all that 
time. Almost every day I noticed it would try to 
look up the chimney, mewing like a sick babe the while. 
After the storm was over I went up on the roof, and 
looking down the chimney I saw three strings of chip- 
monks and mice, which this cat had caught the previous 
summer and put away there for winter use." 

I did not buy the cat, for I was afraid that such an 
intelligent animal might supplant me as superintendent 
of the mine and I would be out of a job; but I gave 
George employment and he kept the boys always in 
a good humor by his terse and ever-ready wit. 

Whenever any one told a "yarn" that George dis- 
believed, he would instantly proceed to tell one so 






100 The Gold Hunters of California 

absurdly ridiculous that the first narrator would be put 
to shame. 

Upon one occasion one of the boys related this 
story : 

"You know how thick the geese are in San Joaquin 
Valley?" inquired the speaker, "and how they eat out 
the growing wheat? Well, there lived on the San 
Joaquin river a Dutchman whose name was Chris 
Dudenscheimer, and Chris used to wage war on these 
geese. A brother from the 'Old Country' joined him, 
who had never fired a gun, but was eager to kill some 
geese. One day, in the early fall, a large flock of these 
birds alighted across the river not far from where the 
brothers were at work. 

"'Now is your chance for a shot, Fred/ said Chris. 
'Go to the house and load the goosegun, and you can 
bring down a good lot. You will never have a better 
chance/ 

"'How must I load it?' inquired the inexperienced 
Fred. 

"'Oh, just put in about two drams of powder and 
one dram of shot/ instructed Chris. 

"Away Fred went and soon returned with the gun all 
loaded for geese. 

'"Take a rest by that tree and let them have both 
barrels/ encouraged Chris, who wished to see his 
brother make a wonderful first shot. 

"Fred got ready and fired. Then turned a double 
summersault about twenty yards backward before 



The Gold Hunters of California 101 

he could stop, while the gun was thrown far over his 
shoulder. 

"'Dot vas awfuls!' exclaimed the pour fellow, pull- 
ing himself together the best he could. 

"'Why, how on earth did you load that gun?' asked 
the astonished Chris. 

"'Vy, joost like you tolt me. I put in two drams 
of powder and von of lead. Dot iss all, I measured 
them in the dram-glass dot ve use efery day for our 
drinks/ was the indignant explanation. 

"Besides nearly killing Fred/' went on the story- 
teller, "that shot killed twenty-seven geese." 

This was enough for Slocum. 

"Better luck than I had," said he. "Last winter I 
fired into a flock of more than a million as they flew 
over my cabin. I got three bushels of wings and legs, 
and could not see the sun for three days on account of 
feathers floating in the air, but never killed a goose." 

On another evening a sailor had just finished telling 
a fabulous story of how he had been ship-wrecked. 
George Slocum had one equally as improbable which 
he lost no time in relating. 

"I was once ship-wrecked, myself/' said he, "off 
the coast of Patagonia. For nine days I floated astride 
a barrel of pork, with nothing to eat but a bar of 
soap." 

And so was his ever ready wit and store of fun. 

I have often thought that if he had possessed an 
education George Slocum might have out-ranked 
Baron Muenchausen himself as a romancer of this kind. 



102 The Gold Hunters of California 

Norwegian snow-shoes furnished another source of 
vast amusement and pastime to the Californians 
through the snow belt of the state, in those early days. 

These shoes were first introduced in the country by 
a man named Thompson in the year 1859, and soon 
came into general use in the mountainous districts. 
An expert traveler on them could, if the snow were 
in a favorable condition traverse as great a distance 
as he could over the same country on mule-back. 

The traveling shoe was about six feet long; the 
racing shoe about twelve; both made from pine boards 
four or five inches wide. These boards were grooved 
down the center, and curved at one end, something 
like a sleigh-runner. In the center, measuring from 
end to end, was fastened a leather strap to fit over the 
foot, below which was nailed a strip which fitted in 
front of the heel. A long pole with a button on the 
end was used in guiding the progress of the traveler 
in climbing hills, also as a brake in descending them. 

A favorite sport with the wearers used to be snow- 
shoe-racing on Sundays. Pilot Peak which overlooked 
Onion Valley in Plumas County, California, furnished 
a favorite track for these races. The slope down the 
mountain-side was a mile and a quarter long, and 
very steep. So steep, in fact, as to cause a sensation 
like that produced by falling. So expert did some 
of these snow-shoe racers become, that I have known 
them to cover this distance of one and a quarter miles in 
thirty-nine seconds. 

None of the jokes or pastimes of these early miners 



The Gold Hunters of California 103 

ever partook of ill-feeling or unkindness. They were 
always generous and humane in their dealings with 
one another. Always ready to extend a helping hand 
to worthy or unfortunate brothers. Thus ennobling 
themselves and uplifting others. 



CHAPTER VII 

It is not a part of these reminiscences to deal with 
politics, but a few incidents introducing people more 
or less connected with the career of the early gold 
diggers of California may be of interest to the general 
reader. 

In another part of this book it has been noted that 
California became a state of the Union in 1850. The 
first legislature of the state was held at the town of 
Benicia. 

John C. Fremont and William H. Gwinn were elected 
to the United States Senate. Fremont was from Mis- 
souri, a son-in-law of Senator Thomas H. Benton of 
Missouri. 

Gwinn was born in Tennessee. His father was a 
great friend of General Jackson. Gwinn came to 
California from Mississippi, where he had held numerous 
political offices. Through appointment by General 
Jackson, Gwinn, at one time held the post of United 
States Marshal for the state of Mississippi. 

The first congressman to represent California was a 
Mr. Wright, an avowed friend and partner of J. C. 
Palmer, mentioned before in these sketches as head 
of the house of Palmer, Cooke & Co., bankers. 

A quarrel between Palmer and Gwinn over this man 
Wright caused a division in the Democratic party. 

104 



The Gold Hunters of California 105 

One wing was led by David C. Broderick, a sworn 
friend of Palmer, Cooke & Co. 

Broderick was, by trade, a stone cutter, but had 
always taken interest and part in the political issues 
of his day, and at one time served as Congressional 
Representative of New York City. His first appearance 
in politics in California was as state senator. 

Broderick was a fine organizer. He was a man of 
Puritanic morals, never used intoxicating liquors or 
tobacco, indulged in no kind of dissipation or gaming, 
yet most strange to relate, he held the "boy element" 
of San Francisco under remarkable control in all 
political matters. 

With the financial strength of Palmer, Cooke & Co., 
behind him, he became a potent and prominent candi- 
date for the senate, as opposed to Gwinn. Broderick's 
friends and supporters in this campaign were known as 
" Short Hairs," (a term applied to the "boy" or saloon 
element) composed largely of Democrats from the 
eastern states. While Gwinn's followers were known 
as "Long Hairs" or "Chivs," hailing mostly from the 
southern states. 

The war between these two candidates was bitter 
and unrelenting, assuming as it progressed national 
proportions and lasting for many years. 

In 1855 the "Knownothing Party" elected their 
state ticket, making J. Neely Johnson governor of the 
state. 

Upon the failure of the banks in 1855, James King- 
of-William, who was cashier of the banking house of 



106 The Gold Hunters of California 

Adams & Co., lost his job, and starting a sensational 
paper which he called the " Evening Bulletin," devoted 
it, as he said, entirely to the reformation of the politi- 
cal municipality. 

His assaults were most virulent upon almost all 
those holding public positions at the time and more 
particularly upon Broderick, the "Dick Crocker" of 
the state. 

James J. Casey then held the position of deputy 
sheriff in San Francisco. King published what he 
said was Casey's record in New York, showing that 
he had been indicted for felony in that state and was a 
fugitive from justice. 

This was in 1856. 

For this attack Casey challenged King to a duel. 

Duelling at that day and time was very common 
between rival politicians, and was the usual way of 
settling difficulties. 

King declined the challenge, but said through his 
paper, that he was always prepared to defend himself. 
A day or two afterwards Casey met him on the street 
and shot him to death. 

This occurrence immediately aroused the same spirit 
which, in 1851, caused to be organized the old "Vigi- 
lance Committee," which cleansed the city of thieves 
and assassins at that time. 

Quietly and orderly the old "Vigilance Committee" 
was revived and re-organized, merchants and business 
men taking the lead. Its influence was not long in 
being felt. The San Francisco Herald, a paper which 



The Gold Hunters of California 107 

opposed them was denuded of its advertising, which 
forced the paper into bankruptcy. And the Alta Cali- 
fornia which favored them nourished more than ever 
with the addition of the advertising which had been 
transferred to its columns. 

The Evening Bulletin, the paper of the murdered 
King, was made the especial organ of the Vigilantes. 
Casey and Cory who were on trial for murder were 
hanged by the Vigilantes. Boothe and Hetherington 
soon followed in their trail. A reign of terror thus 
begun among the Broderick gang. 

Broderick disappeared from the scene for a time; it 
was said he went to San Raphael. At all events he 
concealed himself until the storm had spent its fury. 
Some fifteen of his lieutenants were expatriated. 

"Yankee Sullivan," a prize fighter and one of "de 
push," was found dead in one of the cells of the Vigil- 
antes; some said he had committee suicide, others 
that he had been murdered. 

For fully two months the Vigilantes had more than 
6,000 men under arms, behind what was called "Fort 
Gunnybags." 

W. T. Coleman was president of the organization and 
Isaac Bluxome was secretary. Their officers were 
sent through the city armed with warrants of arrest, 
which were signed: 
"By order of the Committee, Thirty-three, Secretary." 
Judge Terry was on the Supreme Bench of the state 
at the time, and when the officers of the committee 
attempted to arrest a man by the name of Nixon in 



108 The Gold Hunters of California 

his presence Judge Terry drew his knife and stabbed 
one of the Vigilantes. Terry was himself arrested 
and held a prisoner for this by the committee for many 
weeks. At one time the situation looked so serious 
for him he came very near being executed; better 
counsel prevailing, however, he was finally released. 

General William T. Sherman, at that time a re- 
tired army officer, had been the manager of the bank 
of Lucas, Turner & Co., up to the time of their failure 
in business. He was chosen commander-in-chief of 
the law and order forces, numbering only a few hundred. 
This organization appealed to the commanding officer 
of the Federal troops stationed at Benicia, hoping to 
procure from them assistance in the establishment of 
law and order. But this appeal was refused on the 
ground that soldiers of the regular army could not 
take action except by order of the President of the 
United States, which meant a delay of at least two 
months. 

The Vigilantes had their way in all things. When 
they had accomplished their supreme will they or- 
ganized an independent party in San Francisco, known 
as the "Law and Order Party.' 7 For many years 
thereafter they succeeded in electing their tickets in 
all municipal elections. 

This, however, did not allay the feeling between 
Broderick and Gwinn. Their fight was still vigorously 
carried on, with much bitterness, throughout the state. 

In 1857 Broderick controlled the legislature, and 
was elected to the United States Senate for the long 



The Gold Hunters of California 109 

term. In a fit of generosity he secured the election of 
Gwinn for the short term, Gwinn agreeing, in writing, 
to allow Broderick all of the Federal patronage at- 
taching thereto for the State of California. 

This agreement was gotten possession of by some 
of Broderick's enthusiastic friends who had it published. 
Gwinn broke his compact immediately, and the war 
between the two became more fierce than ever. 

About this time occurred the fight between the 
Buchanan administration and Stephen A. Douglas, 
hinging upon the admission of Kansas into the Union 
under the LeCompton constitution. 

Broderick used his efforts in the support of Douglas 
in the senate, while Gwinn threw his influence with 
the administration. This secured for Gwinn all the 
Federal appointments for his friends. The " English 
Compromise/' prepared by representative English from 
the State of Indiana, was introduced and received the 
endorsement of the Democrats in congress of both 
North and South. Douglas, it was understood, agree- 
ing to it with the rest. But Broderick, by sheer force 
of will, prevented the "Little Giant" from accepting 
the compromise when it reached the senate. 

Had this compromise been accepted by the Democrats 
of the North and South, there would probably have been 
no division of the party in 1860. They would surely 
have elected their president, and the Civil War would 
most certainly have been postponed. 

As has been said before in these pages duelling was, 
during those times, very common. Broderick was 



110 The Gold Hunters of California 

killed in a duel with David S. Terry, in Marin County, 
after his first session in congress. The causes which 
led up to his death as stated here were received from 
Dr. Richard Porter Ash, the attending surgeon of 
both parties upon the field of honor, and who always 
declared that Broderick's friends murdered him. 

Broderick, in the heat of anger, had denounced 
Terry as a corrupt scoundrel. Upon this, Terry re- 
signed his position upon the bench in order to challenge 
Broderick to a duel. Terry, after offering the challenge, 
requested Mr. Broderick's seconds to say to him that 
if he did not intend his remarks to apply to Terry's 
official position the challenge would be withdrawn, 
as it was immaterial to him what Broderick thought 
of him as a private citizen. 

This, Dr. Ash related, Broderick was inclined to do, 
but was persuaded against his better judgment by his 
.friends to accept the challenge at all hazards, they 
believing, as he was a sure shot, firing from the hip 
he would certainly kill Terry, which would be a good 
thing, because in so doing he would establish a repu- 
tation as a man of courage which would, in the eastern 
states insure for him the nomination for vice-president 
in 1860. 

It is told upon the authority of Calhoun Benham, 
a second of Terry's, that when Broderick met Terry's 
eye upon the field it seemed to unnerve him before 
the fight began. Joe McKibben, a second for Bro- 
derick, said that a fairer duel than this was never 
fought. He and David D. Colton were Broderick's 



The Gold Hunters of California 111 

seconds. They secured choice of weapons but Terry's 
seconds, of course, had the word. The gentlemen 
fought with regular duelling pistols. Benham told me 
that when he handed Terry his pistols he remarked 
to him: 

"Judge Terry, I hope you will be successful. " 

"I do not know/' replied Terry, "Broderick fires 
quick. If he does not kill me I shall hurt him." 

The word was given. Both pistols were discharged 
almost simultaneously; Broderick's perhaps a second 
ahead of Terry's. Broderick's bullet ploughed the ground 
beneath the feet of Terry. Had the gun been leveled 
the eight of an inch higher it would, most probably, 
have gone through Terry's body. 

With Terry's fire Broderick reeled and fell. Benham 
approached Terry, his principal, and said: 

"Judge, you have killed him." 

"No, I did not," was the reply, "I did not wish to 
kill him. I aimed four or five inches below the left 
nipple." 

Broderick, however, died about ten days afterward 
from the effects of the wound. 

Thus ended a life most conspicuous in the political 
world of those most feverish, early days of California, 
not to say of the nation. 

Quite a number of politicians had been killed in 
duels before this time. 

Turning from these scenes it is gratifying to recall 
the noble act of a truly brave man. 

In an episode in the life of Charles S. Fairfax we 



112 The Gold Hunters of California 

have an example of an act of nobility all must admire. 

While clerk of the Supreme Court, Fairfax had an 
altercation with Harvey Lee. In this difficulty Lee 
drew a sword from his cane — a familiar weapon in 
those days was a sword cane — and ran Fairfax through 
the body. Thus wounded Fairfax drew and leveled 
his derringer straight at Lee's head; then, hesitating 
he said: 

"You have a wife and small children, Lee, so I 
will spare your life." 

And again as he fell into the arms of his friends, 
almost expiring, he rallied, and pointing with his index 
finger at his antagonist, he repeated: 

"Remember, I have spared your life, Lee, on account 
of your wife and children." 

Fairfax lived some ten years after this, but finally 
died from the effects of the wound received that day. 

Fairfax was of noble blood. He was the last lineal 
descendant of Lord Fairfax, of England. Upon good 
authority it has been told of him that he was invited 
and urged to return to England and assume the title 
and restore the prestige of his noble family, in "good 
old England," but he always declined, saying, that he 
preferred to be a free American citizen to being a ham- 
pered English Lord or Duke. 

This spirit is certainly in contrast with that of the 
present day in America, when the average millionaire, 
not being able to have titles thrust upon him by birth, 
is all too willing to sell his daughters, and even his 




' YOU HAVE A WIFE AND SMALL CHILDREN, LEE, SO I 

spare your life." — Page 112. 



The Gold Hunters of California 113 

sons to rebuild the decayed nobility of England and 
other countries. 

The original Lord Fairfax could not have been more 
of a commoner than was his California descendant. 

Charley Fairfax was not an orator, but a man of 
"infinite jest and most excellent fancy." Full of 
manly courage, emotional as a woman, liberal to a 
fault, the comrade of all classes, he was popular through- 
out the whole state; and always led his ticket when- 
ever he appeared before the people as a candidate for 
their sufferage. He served as speaker of the house 
of the state legislature, and, in 1857, was nominated 
by the Democrats for clerk of the Supreme Court; an 
office at that time worth at least $50,000 per annum. 

Major Powell, a noted political orator, opposed 
him on the "Knowno thing" ticket. The Major was 
well advanced in years, having white hair and wearing 
a long gray beard. Fairfax accepted a challenge to 
debate w T ith the Major the issues of the campaign, at 
Yreka, Trinity County, on a certain day. At the 
appointed time Major Powell, who, in the meanwhile 
had died his hair and whiskers a dark color, opened 
the debate in a speech which consumed fully an hour, 
at the conclusion of which the large assemblage of 
miners shouted for Fairfax. During Powell's speech 
Fairfax had been passing the time at a game of billiards 
in a nearby hall. Being thus vociferously called for, 
he came forward, ascended the platform, then turned 
and looked all around. Finally he very critically sur- 



114 The Gold Hunters of California 

veyed his opponent on the stand, for some seconds, 
then turning to the audience he said: 
"Ladies and Gentlemen: — 

"I had expected, this evening, to meet my worthy 
competitor for the office of clerk of the Supreme Court, 
Major Powell, in debate of the issues of this campaign; 
but, as he is not present it would not be fair or proper 
for me to address you during his absence." 

"There is Major Powell behind you," yelled the 
crowd. 

Again turning to the much be-dyed Major, he said: 

"No, my friends, this cannot be Major Powell whom 
I was to meet here, and against whom I am running 
for the same office. He is a man well-advanced in 
years; he has white hair and a full gray beard, while 
this gentleman, whom you would have me believe is 
Major Powell has a youthful appearance, whose hair 
and whiskers are, as you see, jet black." 

And amidst the plaudits of his admirers Fairfax 
descended from the platform as if everything were 
settled for that time, which ended the debate. 

Fairfax was elected by a large majority in this cam- 
paign, and re-elected to the same office in 1859. 

After the defeat of the "Knowno thing party," in 
1857, Henry A. Crabb and 0. C. Hall, both of whom 
were leaders in that party, went to Mexico. 

Crabb, who had a Mexican wife, received and ac- 
cepted an invitation from General Pesquera, of Sonora, 
Mexico, to aid him in his fight with Gandero, for the 
governorship of that state. Crabb and his followers 



The Gold Hunters of California 115 

to receive in return for their services Mexican land 
grants, as well as other concessions. For that pur- 
pose Crabb raised and equipped a force of some hun- 
dred and fifty men in California and started to Mexico. 

He selected Hall and also Grant Oury as officers. 
Oury in later years, in 1881 to 1883, was delegate to 
congress from the territory of Arizona. 

To cross the borders of the United States from Cali- 
fornia to Sonora, Mexico, then consumed several 
months. During the time and before Crabb and his 
party arrived, the war between Pesquera and Gandero 
closed, leaving Pesquera, the supposed friend of Crabb, 
and whom Crabb was to assist with his forces, in pos- 
session of the office of governor of the Mexican state 
of Sonora. Crabb and Hall, in command of the van- 
guard advanced and after entering Sonora, at the 
town of Cavorca, being assailed by a large body of 
Mexican troops, and relying upon the good faith of 
Pesquera, Crabb surrendered his force of seventy- 
five or eighty men, only to have them shot to death. 
The news of this dire disaster reaching Oury, command- 
ing the rear-guard, caused him to hastily retrace his 
steps back to Arizona, within the borders of the United 
States. 

The sad death of Crabb and Hall was deeply de- 
plored and regretted by Californians, by whom Pes- 
quera was ever afterward held as the embodiment of 
treachery and deceit. 

In 1859 Milton S. Latham, an administration Demo- 
crat, was elected governor of California by a very large 



116 The Gold Hunters of California 

majority, and that winter Latham was elected to the 
United States Senate. The next year in the presiden- 
tial election Lincoln carried the state, leading Douglas 
by some six hundred votes, and Breckenridge by about 
fifteen hundred votes. Political excitement was at 
fever heat. There was a large citizenship of southern 
birth in the state, who sympathized with secession, 
and another part, who, believing in the right of secession, 
saw in the organization of the Confederate Government 
at Montgomery, Alabama, the dissolution of the Union, 
and the formation of four or five independent govern- 
ments upon its ruins. 

After the secession of the cotton states, public senti- 
ment in California as elsewhere, was against coercion. 
The great mass of citizens believed, with General Scott, 
that the best policy was to "let the erring sisters go 
in peace." 

The San Francisco Alta, the San Francisco Bulletin 
and the Sacramento Union, at that time the leading 
papers of the state, following the lead of the New York 
Tribune, advocated peaceable secession. There was 
besides a strong party in favor of a Pacific Republic. 

William M. Gwinn, United States senator, and leader 
of the Breckenridge wing of the Democracy, used all 
his influence in that direction. Milton S. Latham, his 
colleague, was supposed to secretly favor the measure. 
John G. Downey, the governor, was quiescent. With 
this end in view there was formed in San Francisco, 
with its ramifications through the state, a "junta" 
or combination of leading politicians to organize for 



The Gold Hunters of California 117 

the purpose of taking California out of the Union; and 
with Oregon and the western territories, forming a 
Pacific Republic. The first thing toward the accom- 
plishing of that end was to obtain possession of the 
government arsenal at Benicia. 

Albert Sidney Johnston, Colonel commanding the 
department, was a Southern man whose sympathies 
were known to be with the South. General Twiggs 
had surrendered all government property in his de- 
partment to the seceding states, and it was believed 
that Johnston would do the same. In January, 1861, a 
committee waited upon him, asking that if a display of 
force should be made against him if he would surrender. 
My informant was a member of the committee. John- 
ston's reply was: 

"Gentlemen, I am a Southern man. When Lincoln 
is inaugurated my resignation will be in his hands and 
then my fortunes shall be cast with the Southern Con- 
federacy. But as long as I am a Federal officer I shall 
defend Federal property/' 

This ended all attempts to fortify the state and 
dragoon California into secession. 

Had Johnston listened to the importunities of his 
Southern friends, it is difficult to tell what the result 
might have been. With the military power of the 
state in the hands of the secessionists, it is quite certain 
that an attempt to establish a Pacific Republic would 
have been made, with every probability of success. 
For those in favor of the proposition would have been 
organized and well armed, while the Unionists would 



118 - The Gold Hunters of California 

have been unorganized, unarmed and isolated from 
the government to which they must look for assistance 
and relief. Such an attempt would have had a most 
demoralizing effect upon the Union cause in the northern 
and central states. For several years, at least, the 
national government would have been deprived of the 
gold of California and the silver of Washoe Territory — 
now the state of Nevada. This output of gold and 
silver was of very great assistance in maintaining the 
credit of the nation during the Civil War, and to say 
the least the Pacific coast was saved the horrors of 
an internecine war, such as was experienced in full 
force in Missouri, east Tennessee and Kentucky. 

Albert Sidney Johnston was a secessionist, sincere 
and strong, and believed in the righteousness of the 
Southern cause, and upon the bloody field of Shiloh 
yielded up his life to maintain the belief most sacred 
to him. Yet, be it said to his honor, he yielded not 
when temptation offered, for he was incapable of be- 
traying a trust, even though it was to benefit the cause 
for which he was willing to sacrifice his life. 

As I remember him, he was calm, dignified, quiet 
and unostentatious. A magnificent specimen of the 
physical man. Over six feet in height, tall, erect and 
soldierly in his bearing, about fifty years of age and 
seeming altogether a man born to command. 

When Johnston's resignation as commander of the 
department in California was accepted by President 
Lincoln, General Sumner was sent to succeed him. 
With a company of fifty men under command of Alonzo 



The Gold Hunters of California 119 

Ridley, afterwards a lieutenant-colonel in the Confed- 
erate army, Johnston crossed through Arizona and New 
Mexico into Texas, espousing the cause he loved; and 
was made, by Jefferson Davis, a lieutenant-general 
in the Confederate army. 

That Johnston understood the magnitude of the 
impending struggle is well illustrated by this incident 
which was told me by Colonel Ridley: 

The command was camped somewhere in New Mexico, 
when around the camp fire some of the soldiers began 
boasting of the valor and prowess of the Southern 
chivalry, saying that one of them was more than the 
equal of six Yankees. Johnston quietly interrupted 
with the remark: 

"We are all of the same blood. They are our equals 
as soldiers. The only chance we have to whip them is 
to do so before they have an opportunity to fully 
organize.' ' 

At the outset of the war very few supposed it would 
be one of long duration. That General Grant did not 
share in this view of the situation will be shown by 
the following incident: 

After the battle of Belmont, Kentucky, the Confed- 
erate general, Buckner, met General Grant under a 
flag of truce, and their conversation was in part re- 
ported by telegraph. During the course of their talk 
Buckner expressed the belief that the North could 
never win. Grant replied: 

"Well, I believe it will be a fight of Killkenny cats; 
but the North has the longest tail." 



120 The Gold Hunters of California 

When Colonel Johnston joined the Confederate 
army he left a most interesting family in California. 
I knew them well, and frequently visited them. The 
family was composed of a second wife and four small 
children; the eldest, whose name was Hancock, named 
for General Hancock, of national fame, being only 
twelve years old. 

Mrs. Johnston was a very handsome brunette, tall 
and queenly. A fine amateur musician and highly 
educated. Perhaps not thirty years old yet grief and 
anxiety had turned her prematurely gray. In 1864-65 
she kept a private boarding-house in San Francisco, 
but soon after the war she removed to Los Angeles, 
where her son Hancock, became quite prominent in 
social and business circles. She died quite recently. 

Mrs. Johnston once told me that when her husband, 
Colonel Johnston, resigned from the Federal army 
he said that he felt it to be his duty to do so, and to 
defend the land of his birth. Still, if she were opposed 
he would not go. She told him to go where he felt his 
duty called. 

When the news of the surrender of Lee reached this 
devoted wife, I was visiting at the house of Todd 
Robertson, in San Francisco, where Mrs. Johnston 
also was. The parlor was filled with young people; 
and as I entered one of the young ladies asked what I 
thought of the news. I replied, I thought it meant 
the end of the war and the subjugation of the South. 



The Gold Hunters of California 121 

That before a week had passed Joe Johnson would 
surrender. 

Some one suggested that Kirby Smith might make 
a stand in Texas. I replied to that by saying that to 
do so would only subject the state to the pillage and 
plunder of contending armies with no prospect of final 
success; and that if Smith refused to surrender he should 
be shot without mercy. 

The scene that followed these remarks w r as one that 
was photographed upon my memory, never to be for- 
gotten. 

Mrs. Johnston had been sitting quiet and immovable 
as a statue up to that time; now, she arose from her 
seat, her tall form vibrating with the emotion of un- 
utterable despair, tears streaming from her eyes, and 
with the exclamation: 

"Oh, God! that it should have ended thus! And 
what have I not suffered! What have I not endured !" 
She staggered from the room. 

To the patriotic women of the North, who lost hus- 
bands, lovers, brothers, in that terrific strife, there was 
the compensation that at least the cause for which 
they fought was won, the Union was preserved, the 
flag still proudly waved where they had striven to 
uphold it, over an undivided land; but to the women 
of the Southland, whose loved ones had fallen, whose 
homes were desolate, whose gardens were devastated 
and whose fortunes were swept away in the wild riot 
of civil war, no solace was left, no comfort greater than 
the wail of the stricken heart: 



122 The Gold Hunters of California 

"Oh, God! That it should have ended thus! And 
what have I not suffered! What have I not endured!" 

Nearly forty years have passed since General Lee 
surrendered. 

The names of Jackson, Lee, Johnson and Johnston 
are as much a heritage of true Americans as that of 
Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan and Grant. 

Sad as it surely was for some at that dread time, 
now all must rejoice at the termination as it was, that 
"it ended thus." 

To be a citizen of this broad land, preserved unbroken 
as it is, is a prouder distinction than to be prince or 
potentate of other laad. 

The animosities engendered by the war between 
the states have been outgrown. They are past 
and gone. 

Citizens of a loved and common country, Southron 
and Northron alike, are moving forward to one great 
destiny. 

And regardless of section a grateful people will ever 
revere the memory of one who kept faithfully his trust, 
though at the sacrifice of that which he held dearer 
than life itself, Albert Sidney Johnston. 

Long live his memory and great be his honor in all 
ages! 

Senator Gwinn was a strong character. During 
the early years of the Civil War his time was spent in 
Europe. He accompanied Maximilian to Mexico and 
was made Duke of Sonora. Upon the collapse of 
the rebellion, seeing that the Empire of Mexico was 



The Gold Hunters of California 123 

doomed, he returned to California in the latter part 
of the year 1865, bankrupt in fame and fortune. Hitherto 
his ambition was to hold public position; his energies 
were not employed in building up his private fortune. 
But now on his return to California, finding all the 
doors to his political advancement securely bolted 
and barred, in a sense outlawed by his well-known 
sympathy with the Southern cause, with a meagre 
bank account and a family to support, it dawned upon 
him that to build up his private fortune was the only 
road left him to travel. 

Mining at that time was at flood tide. He did not 
enter the lists as a broker or speculator in mining 
shares, but set himself earnestly to work to acquire, 
by study and practical application, the knowledge 
of petrology, geology, mineralogy and vein structure, 
necessary for him to select a prospect that gave assur- 
ance of being a mine. He spent the winter of '65 and 
'66 in the counties of Calaveras, Eldorado and Amador, 
doing his own cooking, examining the different mineral 
formations of the producing mines, and in the spring 
of 1866, secured what was afterwards known as the 
Gwinn mine. He developed the property intelligently 
and systematically, making it one of the greatest 
dividend-paying gold properties of the state. For 
many years his dividends from this mine ran from 
twenty-five thousand to thirty thousand a month. 

He died in New York some ten years later from 
pneumonia, well advanced in years. 



CHAPTER VIII 

The firing on Fort Sumter and the call of President 
Lincoln for 75,000 men to enforce the constitution and 
the laws of the United States in the seceding states, 
was, of course, approved by the loyalists of California 
as the only course left for a patriot to pursue, and 
condemned by Southern sympathizers in the state 
as the despotic act of a self-constituted tyrant. Here, 
as elsewhere, there was much division of sentiment; 
friends were separated and brothers were divided. 

During the year 1861 California contributed several 
thousand men to the Southern army. 

In some localities the sentiment was strongly against 
coercion. Everywhere there was great excitement. 
Bloodshed and mob-violence were only prevented by 
the judicious counsel of the cooler heads. 

Dr. Scott, the pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church 
in San Francisco, was accused of praying for the success 
of Jeff Davis. The next Sunday a large crowd col- 
lected in front of his church and hoisted the American 
flag above it. Mrs. Nelson, a Scotch woman, and a 
member of his congregation, heard of this occurrence 
while she was doing her morning marketing. Seizing 
a large knife the good woman lost no time, but rushed 
to the church, quickly severed the pole that held the 
flag, and defied the crowd to replace it. 

124 



The Gold Hunters of California 125 

Mixing in the throng on the street were many armed 
with pistols and knives. Had a fight once begun, 
hundreds of lives would have been sacrificed. 

In the election that fall the state went overwhelmingly 
for the Union party. 

Leland Standford was elected governor over John 
R. McConnell. The latter running upon a platform 
opposed to war. 

This election fixed not only the status of California 
during the contest, but of Oregon and all the adjacent 
territories. 

That fall 5,000 men were raised and sent through 
Arizona and New Mexico under command of General 
Carlton. Shortly afterwards another column of 5,000 
men, under command of General Conner, was used in 
policing the state and in holding in check the disloyal 
element of Washoe and Utah territories. 

Military law, to a great extent, superseded civil law. 
And when a man became too loud in his demonstra- 
tions in favor of the Southern Confederacy he was 
arrested and sent to the military prison at Alcatraz. 

T. Starr King, pastor of the Unitarian Church in 
San Francisco, one of the ripest scholars of his day, 
and with few equals as a pulpit orator, contributed 
greatly to the strengthening of the cause, or the Union 
sentiment. Many whose sympathies were secretly 
with the South, supported the Union party, believing 
that as they were so far removed from the active 
theater of war, their greatest interest lay in seeing 
order maintained at home. 



126 The Gold Hunters of California 

The mines of Virginia City along the famous Corn- 
stock lode were being exploited then, and California 
as well as Washoe Territory was sending her treasures 
of gold and silver to the East. 

At this time San Francisco was going ahead by leaps 
and bounds. Her numerous merchants were growing 
richer every day. 

Among the importing houses that made millions of 
dollars during the war were, Scholle Brothers and I. 
and J. Wormser — who afterwards became noted finan- 
ciers of New York City — Levi Strauss & Co., Murphy 
Grant & Co., and Selligman Brothers, — founders of 
the banking firm of T. and W. Selligman & Co., bankers 
of New York and Europe. 

The gambling world was investing money in mining 
enterprises in all parts of the country. 

With all this prosperity there were still those who 
were not content to let well enough alone — those 
whose intense feeling led them to attempt a blow for 
the Southern cause, the Southern Confederacy. 

A. Harpending, in the early part of 1862, traveled 
horseback through New Mexico into Texas and thence 
to Richmond, and returned with a letter of marque 
from Jeff Davis. 

Harpending and his confederates purchased the " Car- 
oline Chapman," a schooner, and under the pretense 
of sailing her with a cargo of American merchandise 
to some Mexican port, smuggled aboard some cannon, 
a large lot of small arms, ammunition, etc. Their 
design being to convert her into a war vessel when once 



The Gold Hunters of California 127 

well out on the high seas. Their main object being 
to capture the Pacific Mail Steamers, as they voyaged 
to Panama laden with their rich cargoes of valuable 
supplies. 

The crew of the " Caroline Chapman'' was arranged 
for, and the vessel was almost ready to sail, when the 
plot was discovered and the plans of the party frustrated. 
The plot was said to have been given away by one Titus. 

Harpending, Greathouse and an Englishman named 
Rhodes, were arrested, tried and sentenced to ten 
years' service at Alcatraz, by United States Justice 
Field. They were afterwards pardoned by president 
Johnson, some time after the close of the war. 

Who furnished these men the arms, where they were 
bought and how procured was never known. None 
of the prisoners ever made confession implicating others 
than themselves. I have heard that E. H. Coe was 
president of the association, and that when he found 
that the vessel had been seized and her proposed officers 
arrested, he sent a friend to his room to burn all the 
papers connected with the enterprise. So no tell-tale 
evidences of guilt were found there by the officers who 
searched the premises. 

Coe himself went to British Columbia, where another 
party was formed. This party bought a steamer, but 
was unable to procure the all essential letter of marque 
from Jeff Davis, because of the fact that by that time 
the war was on in full force and nearly every door was 
closed and locked securely against the Southern Con- 
federacy. 



128 The Gold Hunters of California 

The attempt to equip and man a privateer in the 
harbor of San Francisco at that time was a most reck- 
less and daring undertaking, and that it came so near 
success is a circumstance most marvelous to relate. 

What the effect upon the country and the war would 
have been if the scheme of capturing a number of rich 
vessels loaded with a cargo of from one to several mil- 
lions of dollars had been successful, is idle to speculate 
upon. But that it would have proven a bonanza for 
Harpending, Greathouse and Rhodes goes without say- 
ing. 

I have never heard what became of Greathouse and 
Rhodes, after their release, but Harpending plunged 
at once into mining speculations and made quite a 
sum of money. 

In 1880 he promoted the State Line Mines of New 
York, and is, I think, still living. 

He was a tall man of a nervous quick action and 
movement. Of untiring energy and great boldness 
of character. All of which characteristics his subse- 
quent actions go to prove. He figured conspicuously 
in the great diamond swindle of California, an incident 
related in another part of this book. 

California was not called upon to furnish more soldiers 
for the Civil War than were obtained by voluntary 
enlistment. There was no drafting in the states and 
territories of the Pacific coast. But the citizens of 
Nevada, Oregon and California contributed large sums 
of money to the sanitary fund. And those of Southern 
sympathies gave generously for the benefit of Southern 




General Albert Sydney Johnston 
—Page 117. 



The Gold Hunters of California 129 

soldiers in the Northern prisons. This latter fund was 
collected by the ladies of Southern birth living in Cali- 
fornia, and was sent east by them upon its mission of 
mercy. 

At the commencement of the war there was no great 
feeling between those of different views in the state, 
but as the magnitude of the struggle was more fully 
comprehended, and all realized that it was indeed a 
fight to the finish between men of the same race and 
the same blood, a struggle that appealed to the stoutest 
hearts, the Union sentiment gradually grew stronger. 
And all open expression of sympathy with the Southern 
Confederacy was quickly suppressed. A law was 
passed prescribing a very stringent oath for all officials, 
members of the bar and others in public employment. 
In one instance a district judge was impeached on 
account of his avowed opposition to the war. 

While there were many men in all parts of the state 
whose sympathies were entirely with the states in 
rebellion, being in a large minority they were content to 
follow their business vocations, in a financial way 
making the most of an unhappy situation. It can be 
said, truly, that the Pacific states were intensely loyal 
to the Federal Government in its great struggle to pre- 
serve the Union— a struggle that fixed the supremacy 
of the national government by destroying forever the 
doctrine of secession. 

The war ended, ex-confederate soldiers were invited 
to California and treated with that consideration which 
brave men always receive from a magnanimous foe. 



130 The Gold Hunters of California 

Many of them, to-day, hold high position of trust in the 
state. 

Harry I. Thornton in 1861 resigned his seat in the 
state senate and joined the Southern army. 

Thornton lived in Downieville, Sierra County, where 
he was associated in the practice of the law with William 
M. Stewart, now senator from Nevada. Thornton 
served in the Confederate army for four years, and 
after the surrender of Joe Johnson returned to Cali- 
fornia in the winter of 1865. 

Thornton was met in the harbor by four old Downie- 
ville friends, who gave him a hearty welcome. One 
of these friends was the late Sam Davis, a Northern 
man, and an ardent supporter of the war — a banker 
and money-lender, with a " David Harum" reputation. 
After hearing from Harry that his earthly possessions 
consisted of about ten dollars in cash, good health and 
a profession, Davis drew from his pocket a certified 
check for four thousand dollars and urged his friend 
to accept it. 

With faltering voice and swimming eyes, Thornton 
said: 

"No, Sam, old fellow, I cannot take it; while I fully 
appreciate the feeling of friendship that prompts the 
gift, and am grateful beyond expression, yet I cannot 
take it. My dear old mother has a home in the city 
and a small competency; she will cheerfully provide 
for me." 

Thornton for thirty years stood at the head of his 



The Gold Hunters of California 131 

profession in Nevada and California. And dying, a 
few years ago, left a very handsome fortune. 

John Conness was elected to the United States Senate 
in 1861. His election was an accident. He was a 
man of mediocre ability, and his election by the first 
legislature came as a surprise to the state. He had 
served in the state legislature for several terms as a 
Democrat, and had been active as such for ten years 
previous. His venomus tongue was always getting 
him into trouble of one kind or another. With him, 
personal abuse took the place of argument, which oft- 
times placed him in a most humiliating position. For 
the early Californian was quick to resent an insult, 
fancied or otherwise, which made the average, peace- 
loving man cautious in what he said about his neigh- 
bor. Conness put no curb on his tongue, yet his love 
of peace was innate — so strongly developed that he 
was never known to resent any personal indignity 
whatever. 

In the senate he aligned himself with the radical 
wing of the party. He made no mark as a debater in 
that body, but every one who disagreed with him he 
proclaimed a copper-head and a traitor; which is not 
infrequent among such statesmen as he and his class, 
who fight the battles of their country with Samson's 
favorite weapon. 

His term expired March 4, 1S68; and he was a can- 
didate for Secretary of War under the incoming ad- 
ministration. 



132 The Gold Hunters of California 

In March, 1861, the terms of J. C. McKibben and 
Charles Scott in congress expired. 

McKibben, a Pennsylvanian, went into the Northern 
army, and Scott, an Alabamian, into the Southern 
army. 

I never knew what became of Scott, but I met Mc 
Kibben in Chicago in 1874, and rode with him as far 
as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At this time he gave 
me a long recital of his army experiences, two of which 
anecdotes I reproduce for the benefit of my readers. 

Just before the battle of Chickamauga McKibben, 
who was on the staff of General Rosecrans, met Colonel 
Harry I. Thornton, of the Confederate army under a 
flag of truce, as they were warm personal friends. An 
hour or more was very pleasantly spent by them in 
inquiring concerning the Calif ornians on both sides. 

In parting, McKibben agreed to send through the 
lines to Thornton a demi-john of whiskey, of which 
article of necessity there seemed to be a great scarcity 
in the Confederate camp. 

A few days after the battle of Chickamauga, Mc 
Kibben received a note from Thornton giving the in- 
formation that he had been wounded in the fight, and 
that the whiskey would be particularly acceptable 
and appreciated just then. 

Upon receipt of Thornton's note McKibben said he 
searched the camp over and could find only a very 
inferior quality of whiskey. A " Jersey lightning" 
article, warranted to kill if taken in sufficient quanti- 



The Gold Hunters of California 133 

ties. He filled a demi-john, however, and conveyed 
it to the lines of the enemy for his old friend. 

The incident, someway, became known to the news- 
paper correspondents, who published it far and wide, 
to the discredit of the commander-in-chief, for allowing 
such civilities to pass between the Union and Rebel 
armies. So Rosecrans privately remonstrated with 
his friend, saying: 

"Joe, I know full well the free masonry existing 
between you Californians, and personally I admire it, 
but you see it is getting me into trouble, so I hope you 
will in the future forego all intercourse with your friends 
in the rebel army." 

"All right, Rosey," McKibben replied, "but I can 
tell you one thing. If a thousand barrels of whiskey, 
such as I sent Thornton, could have been turned loose 
in Bragg's camp before the battle, you would not have 
been whipped at Chickamauga." 

After the battle of Gettysburg, McKibben was de- 
tailed to convey a lot of Confederate prisoners to Camp 
Lookout, among the rest a colonel. They were covered 
with the smoke and dust of battle, and were objects of 
great curiosity to the Pennsylvania Dutch farmers, 
who, up to that time, had never seen a real live "Reb." 

At one of their halting places an old farmer interviewed 
the colonel, asking him if he did not think he was doing 
very wrong in fighting to break up the best government 
the world ever saw. The colonel replied they were 
fighting for their homes, their friends and all that they 



134 The Gold Hunters of California 

held most dear. Altogether, the farmer was worsted 
in the argument, and finally said: 

"I wish you would answer me one question/' 

"All right, certainly what is it?" was the courteous 
response. 

"Are all rebels as dirty and ragged as you fellows?" 

This was too much for our colonel, a Virginian, to 
accept complacently, and the response came: 

"Do you think southern gentlemen put on their 
Sunday clothes to butcher hogs?" 

President Johnson appointed McKibben governor of 
Montana, but his confirmation was defeated in the 
senate by the persistent work of Conness, although 
Cornelius Cole, the other California senator, favored 
him. 

When Grant was elected, Conness' term in the senate 
expired, and he became anxious to be Secretary of 
War under the new administration. It was generally 
supposed that he would get the appointment. 

McKibben said he saw his chance to play even. He 
knew that Grant detested a physical coward, and that 
if Grant learned the history of Conness in California, 
he would never appoint him to office. He said: 

"I was intimate with General Schofield, dined with 
him often. Schofield dined as often with General 
Sherman who was Grant's most intimate friend. So, 
I invited Schofield to dine. In the course of the meal 
I remarked, "I see the President's policy is peace." 

"Yes, so General Grant declares." 



The Gold Hunters of California 135 

"I am convinced of it, for Conness is to be Secretary 
of War." 

"How so?" inquired the general. 

"Because," continued McKibben, "I know Conness 
to be in his life a thorough exponent of perfect peace." 

"I do not understand, please explain yourself." 

"Well," said McKibben, "in California where we 
both lived, Hugh Murray horse-whipped him, Charley 
Fairfax slapped his face, he vilified Judge Botts, who 
challenged him to a duel, to avoid which Conness 
arose in his place in the state senate and withdrew all 
that he had said against the Judge, and eulogied him 
to the skies. A man in the cabinet with this record 
is an assurance to the nation that the policy of the 
administration is certainly peace." 

Joe said Schofleld laughed heartily at this narrative 
and his scheme worked as planned. For Schofleld told 
Sherman, Sherman in turn told Grant and Conness 
was retired to private life. 

In personal appearance, McKibben was a large, 
powerful man, good natured and affable, a fair repre- 
sentative of the early Californian. 

Before entering congress he was a miner in Downieville, 
California, He had a rich claim on Durgan Flat, but 
the most of his earnings were squandered at the gaming 
table. 

Once, when he and another went into town with 
$1200.00 with which to buy their winter's supplies, they 
agreed not to gamble until their "grub" was bought 



136 The Gold Hunters of California 

and paid for. But as the evening advanced the temp- 
tation to try their luck overcame them both, and they 
lost their " grub-stake" at faro, returning to their 
claim the next morning, dead broke, to dig out more 
of the yellow metal with which to buy their food. 

McKibben and five brothers made their mark in 
the Civil War, and one, I think, is still in the army. 

When I last saw McKibben, he told me he had 
$100,000, was still a bachelor, that he was educating 
five young ladies so they could take care of themselves, 
and that his only desire was that he could have sixty 
days' notice before his demise, in which to spend all 
his earnings before he passed away. 



CHAPTER IX 

After the commencement of the Civil War the ex- 
treme isolation of the Pacific states was felt keenly by 
themselves and throughout the East. 

Henry M. Judah, a practical civil engineer and rail- 
road man, thinking the time was propitious for the 
construction of a Pacific railroad from Omaha to 
California, associated with himself in the enterprise 
Leland Stanford, then governor of California, Judge 
Crocker, then judge on the Supreme Bench, Charles 
Crocker, his brother, Mark Hopkins and Collis P. 
Huntington. 

They incorporated under the name of The Central 
Pacific Railroad Company. 

Judah, dying after the preliminary surveys had been 
made, left the control of the company in the hands 
of his colleagues. It is doubtful if the combined 
capital of the promoters of this gigantic undertaking 
reached the sum of $250,000. But they realized the 
importance of the huge enterprise to the nation at 
large, and had the business foresight to seize the oppor- 
tunity, and while benefitting the whole country, at the 
same time turn it to their own personal advantage as 
well. 

Congress gave them the odd sections of public lands 
on both sides of the proposed road for twenty miles, 

137 



138 The Gold Hunters of California 

and also agreed to take first mortgage bonds and ad- 
vance the money as fast as each fifty miles was com- 
pleted and accepted by the government inspectors at 
the following rate: 

For all plain lands over which the road should run, 
$16,000 per mile. 

For the foot-hills land, $24,000 per mile. 

For the mountainous land, $36,000 per mile. 

For the Sierras land, $48,000 per mile. 

They returned to California with the project and the 
state gave them something like a million and a half; 
and the coimties of San Francisco, Sacramento, Placer 
and San Joaquin gave about two millions more in 
bonds of their respective counties. 

At the next session of congress they had the original 
bill amended so that the government permitted them 
to issue first mortgage bonds, $16,000, $24,000, $36,000, 
and $48,000, as before stated. And agreed to take 
second mortgage bonds for a like amount and advance 
the money upon the completion of each twenty-five 
miles of the road. 

In the meantime, the company sold all the stock 
they could, which was not very much, to private in- 
dividuals. 

They then organized a Contract and Finance Com- 
pany, consisting of the directors of the road, namely: 

Stanford, the two Crockers, Hopkins and Huntington ; 
contracting to build the road for the railroad com- 
pany, in consideration of the lands donated by the 
government, the first and second mortgage bonds 



The Gold Hunters of California 139 

of the company and other bonds that had been donated 
to them. 

The road building was commenced in 1864 and com- 
pleted in 1869. It is a noticeable fact that little plain 
and hilly country was encountered; the most being 
mountainous. The long stretch of tablelands in 
Nevada and Utah was accepted by the government as 
mountainous. It was cheaper to run around the 
arroyos, and thereby make as many miles as possible, 
than to throw bridges across them. 

Huntington established headquarters in Washington; 
Stanford attended to state legislation and Charles 
Crocker, superintended the building of the road. 

Judge Crocker sold out his interest in the enterprise 
to his co-partners, before the completion of the road. 

When the road was completed it is said a large sum — 
I have heard it was $15,000,000— was divided among 
the remaining partners, Stanford, Hopkins, Crocker 
and Huntington, who constituted the Contract and 
Finance Company. 

In the meantime the Central Pacific Railroad Com- 
pany had purchased the steamboats on Sacramento, 
San Joaquin and Feather rivers, had built as far north 
as Red Bluffs, and from Sacramento to San Francisco, 
by way of Lathrop and Stockton. This gave them a 
virtual monopoly of the carrying trade of all northern 
and central California. 

For a long time the railroad company charged 
seven to ten cents a mile for carrying passengers, and 
their freight charges were just below the cost of freight- 



140 The Gold Hunters of California 

ing by team. This added very largely to their revenues. 

About the year 1866 Congress made a donation to 
the Western Pacific Railroad of public lands in the 
state, and the owners of the Central Pacific acquired 
their rights. A few years later they began the con- 
struction of the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

The Legislature passed a bill donating to the Central 
Pacific several millions of state bonds, and which 
bill was vetoed by Governor Low. 

George C. Gorham, Low's private secretary, favored 
the measure then, and in the following election, through 
the influence of the railroad he was nominated for 
Governor on the Republican ticket. He was defeated 
however by Henry H. Haight. 

The nomination of Gorham, an avowed railroad 
man, caused a serious break in the Republican party. 
And that winter witnessed a big fight in the legislature 
over the tide lands of San Francisco. The matter 
was finally adjusted by the passage of a bill defining 
the sea wall of the city, giving the railroad sixty acres, 
thirty acres to the Central Pacific and thirty acres to 
the Southern Pacific. This was in Mission Bay and 
for depot purposes. The remainder was surveyed 
into lots and blocks and sold at public sale. The 
money realized from these sales was in the neighbor- 
hood of $1,700,000. 

At this session of the legislature was founded the 
State University at Berkeley, the state capital was 
permanently located at Sacramento and the construc- 
tion of the capital building authorized, the Golden 



The Gold Hunters of California 141 

Gate Park was authorized, also the City Hall Building 
for San Francisco, and the foundation was laid for 
the most excellent system of public schools in the state 
by doubling the tax for common school purposes. 

Judged by its work this was one of the most impor- 
tant sessions of the legislature ever convened in the 
state. I represented, in part, San Francisco in this 
session and always feel some pride in the part I took 
in its deliberations. 

I introduced and passed the bill disposing of the 
tide lands spoken of above, in the face of a most stren- 
uous opposition from the railroads, who were trying 
to secure that valuable property as a donation, which, 
had they succeeded, would have given them perpetual 
control of the water front of the city. 

While in this session I made the acquaintance of 
Henry George, who was afterwards famous as a single 
taxer. At that time he was editing the San Francisco 
Times, a Republican paper. From that time, up to 
his tragic death, during his canvass for mayor of New 
York, w T e were waim, personal friends. 

George was a man of strong convictions, firm of 
purpose, unbending and unyielding. A political gladi- 
ator, always ready in the forum of public opinion to 
fight for any cause he deemed just and right. With 
him policy, personal, pecuniary or political advance- 
ment never controlled his actions in the least, nor 
ever swerved him from what he considered to be his 
duty, to his God, to his country and to his fellow man. 

He was a Christian of the world, bound by no narrow 



142 The Gold Hunters of California 

creed or sect. His life was one full of love for the com- 
mon people, unbounded and devoted to them and their 
cause. He was plain, simple and unassuming. Yet 
he was maligned, misrepresented and persecuted during 
his life. But the world now concedes his greatness, 
and enrolls his name among the immortals of the last 
century. 

Henry George was a writer who never used his pen 
in the advocacy of any cause he did not believe to be 
right. 

He founded the San Francisco Evening Post and 
under his editorial management it was established upon 
a firm financial basis. When the principal owner 
of the paper, a man of national reputation insisted that 
the paper should advocate political measures to which 
George was opposed, he resigned his position, sacri- 
ficed his interest in the paper, and with an empty 
purse began his life anew. A step that met the warm 
approval of his devoted wife. 

He moved his family into cheap rooms, where " Pro- 
gress and Poverty" was written. No publisher would 
print the book. So George secured among his friends 
a thousand subscribers, and being a printer, set up 
the type himself. The book was widely read by thought- 
ful men both in this country and Europe, and the name 
of Henry George as a thinker and reformer became 
firmly established in the world. His subsequent books 
only increased his reputation. 

Denounced at first as a socialist and anarchist, be- 
cause of his courage in attacking abuses mouldering 



The Gold Hunters of California 143 

under the moss of ages his broad humanity and great 
civic virtues were finally acknowledged, and he died 
leaving the citizenship of the great metropolis mourning 
the loss of one of the most profound thinkers of the 
19th century. And all classes, high and low alike 
vied with each other in paying homage to his memory. 

The next session of the legislature, in the winter of 
1869-70, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company passed 
a bill through both houses, allowing all the southern 
counties to vote bonds in aid of the Southern Pacific 
at the rate of $10,000 per mile, for every mile of railroad 
built in such county, which meant bankruptcy to 
many of them. The amount that San Louis Obispo 
alone would have been entitled to vote was $1,800,000. 

Kern County's share would have been $2,250,000. 
And at that time these counties were all sparsely settled 
with a small amount of taxable property. 

During this session I was called to Sacramento, 
where I learned from Governor Haight that he felt 
it his duty to veto the Southern Pacific bill, but feared 
that it would be passed over his veto, as the railroad 
seemed to be in control of both houses of the legislature. 

The senate was composed of forty members, twenty- 
two Democrats and eighteen Republicans. Four of the 
Democratic members were employes or contractors 
under the railroad. To them, of course, it was idle 
to appeal for assistance to defeat the bill. 

L. L. Bullock and myself, at the suggestion of the 
governor, secured the pledge of seventeen Democrats 
to vote in future to sustain all the governor's vetoes. 



144 The Gold Hunters of California 

George C. Perkins, now United States senator, was 
an independent, anti-railroad Republican, elected from 
Butte County. 

Haight sent in his veto of the bill to the senate and 
a day was set for a vote upon it. The railroad got in 
its lobby work, and four of our men "fell down," and 
one, the senator from Sonoma County was ill with 
pneumonia, and not present. It was absolutely nec- 
essary, in order to preserve the veto, that he should 
be there. Tom Fowler, of Tulare County, was appointed 
to hold the floor until the sick man could be brought in. 

Tom was an illiterate, voluble Irishman. He arose, 
he began his speech, talked railroad subsidies, no fence 
law, stock raising and almost everything else. About 
every five minutes he would pause and take a drink 
of water. So frequent did this irrigation act become 
that James Green, of Marin County, raised a point of 
order. 

"State your point of order," said President Holden. 

"I object," said games Green, "to seeing a windmill 
run by water." 

This interruption did not embarrass Fowler in the 
least. He manfully held the floor until four men 
entered bearing Burnett, the Sonoma senator, upon 
a mattress, and well covered with blankets. 

"I am through, gentlemen," then concluded the 
intrepid Tom. 

The vote on the governor's veto was then ordered, 
which was taken and resulted in the veto being sustained. 




Louts Sloss .— Page 150. 



The Gold Hunters of California 145 

Thirteen Democrats with Senator Perkins voting in the 
affirmative. 

This ended all attempts of the railroad to obtain state 
or county bonds in aid of their various schemes. 

As before stated the Southern Pacific Railroad was 
built by the owners of the Central Pacific Railroad 
Company, who utilized the earnings of the completed 
road to construct the other. For as fast as a section 
of the Southern Pacific was built, it was leased to the 
Central Pacific, presumable for enough to build another 
section. 

In this way the Southern Pacific was completed, 
without any bonded indebtedness, unless I am mis- 
informed. 

The building of the Central Pacific Railroad across 
the Sierra Nevadas, where the snowfall in winter is 
frequently twenty feet, was an herculean task; and 
that it should have been successfully accomplished 
by four men whose combined capital could not have 
been sufficient to complete ten miles of road over 
the most favorable ground on the proposed line, and 
without any previous experience in that kind of work, 
was a most remarkable and wonderful feat. 

The men and their ability seemed to develop with 
the progress of the work. All became multi-million- 
aires, and all during their lives held high positions in 
the railroad world. 

The rottenness of the "Credit Mobelier," which 
built the Union Pacific was exposed in the courts and 



146 The Gold Hunters of California 

in congress, as is well known to every one. But the 
secret workings of the Contract and Finance Company 
were never made public. 

Several attempts were made to bring the company 
to an accounting in the courts of California, but the 
suits were invariably settled or compromised in some 
quiet way. 

I had a personal acquaintance with Governor Stan- 
ford, who left to his adopted state the Stanford Univer- 
sity, a monument more lasting than brass, more dur- 
able than marble. One that through the centuries 
to come will perpetuate his munificence as a citizen 
and his virtues as a man. A man warm-hearted, gen- 
erous and kind. 

In the fall of 1868 I made the trip overland from 
San Francisco to New York. After leaving Sacra- 
mento City I traveled by passenger and construction 
train to Argenta, Nevada, thence by stage six days 
and nights to Salt Lake City, when, for the first time 
after leaving Sacramento I was privileged to undress 
and enjoy a good night's rest. I had been nine days 
on the way, the roads were bad and the stage-line 
without eating stations after leaving Austin, so I 
and two fellow travelers fared none too well. For 
three days before reaching Salt Lake City we averaged 
about a meal every fifteen hours, and then the greatest 
thing about them was the price, being never less than 
a dollar and a half per meal. 

About three o'clock in the morning of the fifth 
day of this stage journey we reach a station. It was 



The Gold Hunters of California 147 

November and very cold. We sat an hour shivering 
over the poor fire, when a voice issuing from an un- 
washed, uncombed specimen of the pioneer invited 
us to breakfast by the announcement: 

"Yer grub's ready/' 

A very welcome sound as we had not tasted food 
for eighteen hours. We lost no time in approaching 
the table. This meal consisted of coffee — or rather 
hot water barely colored with coffee — bacon as thick 
as your hand and floating in grease; flour dough fried 
a little on the outside in this grease from the bacon, 
and nothing more. I ate one slice of the bacon and 
nibbled the outside of a ball of dough, which was 
sufficient for me. I had enough. That bacon must 
have been captured by Cornwallis at Yorktown and 
sent west for the consumption of just such unfortunates 
as we were. None but those almost starved could 
have eaten it. Age had given it strength which even 
our hungry palates failed to make enjoyable. 

Salt Lake City was at that time a city of ten thou- 
sand. Brigham Young owned and occupied a large 
block enclosed by a wall about fifteen feet high. Within 
the enclosure was the Lion house where lived seven 
or eight of his wives. In the block were numerous 
small houses, each having a door through the wall, 
which was securely locked on the outside. I was 
told that in each of these houses there lived one wife 
of the prophet and her children. 

It seemed to be the custom of the Mormons living 
in the country to have a small house for each wife, 



148 The Gold Hunters of California 

rather than have the numerous wives of the same man 
live in one house. 

The Tabernacle, built with a seating capacity of 
six thousand, was then completed and contained one 
of the largest, most magnificent and best toned pipe 
organs I have ever seen or heard. This fine instrument 
was constructed entirely by Mormon mechanics. 

In that his command was law Brigham Young was 
the controlling power among his followers. He was 
a great executive and as interesting a conversationalist 
as I ever met. 

Among his people industry, temperance and thrift 
were strictly enjoined, and each man encouraged to 
take as many wives as he could support. 

Brigham had a wire connecting his office with every 
Mormon settlement for miles around. Farmers were 
limited to small acreages; few farms were above twenty 
acres. The stores of the church were co-operative, 
so, also the flouring mills, the woolen mills and other 
manufacturing enterprises. The Mormons were self- 
sustaining, so far as dependence of the outside world 
was concerned. 

There was only one bar and billiard saloon in the 
city, and that was patronized exclusively by gentiles. 
The city had a theater; all the actors were Mormons. 
Admission to the theater was paid in poultry, cabbage, 
turnips and all kinds of produce, or whatever else 
the patrons had. I suppose that each article had its 
price, but I do not know how that was arranged. It was 



The Gold Hunters of California 149 

an orderly town and living was cheap as compared 
with that in any of the eastern cities. 

Almost all the Mormons were from the Protestant 
countries of Europe. I was told there were no prose- 
lytes from the Catholic Church. 

I took stage from Salt Lake City for Bryan City, 
the end of the Union Pacific, traveling two days and 
nights. Only a few days before my arrival Bryan 
City had indulged in a lynching in which several 
men were hung and quite a number of rough char- 
acters driven out of town. From this city I traveled 
as far as Cheyenne on a caboose attached to a con- 
struction train, when we entered a sleeping car and 
enjoyed the luxury of a good night's rest. For four 
hundred miles along this road there were no perma- 
nent settlers. Cheyenne was a town of tents. Gambling 
seemed to be the chief industry. From Cheyenne it 
was good traveling all the rest of the way to New York 
City. 

On this trip Mr. Hutchinson, of the firm of Hutchin- 
son, Kohl & Co., was a fellow passenger. This firm 
was connected with the Alaska Commerical Company, 
which for thirty years held a monopoly of the fur-seal 
trade, and to a large extent, still controls the fur trade 
of Alaska. 

Alaska, as all know, was purchased by Secretary 
Seward under Johnson's administration in 1867. Sew- 
ard's attention was first directed to this territory by a 
man who had been killing seals in the Arctic, and 



150 The Gold Hunters of California 

wanted to obtain from Russia a concession through 
the state department to extend his business. 

After several conversations with his party Seward, 
being convinced of the value of Alaska by reason of its 
furs and seals, its forests and its fisheries, entered into 
negotiations for its purchase. The Russian Fur Com- 
pany for many years had been established there on a 
firm basis, and on the transfer of Alaska to our sov- 
ereignty was anxious to close out. 

Hutchinson, Kohl & Co. formed a company in San 
Francisco under the name of the Alaska Commercial 
Company to take over their property. I think there 
were originally ten men who formed this company, 
each paying into the fund the sum of ten thousand 
dollars. Four of these men I knew in San Francisco. 
They were John Livingston, Louis Sloss, Louis Ger- 
stle and A. Waserman. The American Company 
-bought out the stores and other property of the Rus- 
sian company. By shipping silks, wines, brandies 
and other articles on which there was an extreme war- 
tariff to San Francisco, where they were admitted free 
of duty, the company reimbursed itself four-fold, 
and had money in its treasury with which to lobby in 
Washington. Sloss, who was the brains of the enter- 
prise, became a Grant elector in California. In 1869 
they had a bill introduced in congress to lease the 
fur-seal rookeries of Alaska, which failed at that session 
on account of the determined opposition of representa- 
tive Johnson of California. 

Grant was inaugurated president in 1869, and he 



The Gold Hunters of California 151 

appointed General Miller, an old army comrade, a 
collector of customs for San Francisco. 

After a short time Miller resigned that office and 
became president of the Alaska Commerical Company. 

At the ensuing session of congress the bill to lease 
the fur-seal islands was passed and became a law. 
Under the provisions of the bill the Secretary of the 
Treasury advertised for bids, and the lease was to go 
to the party offering the most advantageous terms to 
the government; but the lessees were to be familiar 
with the mode of killing seals, etc. The latter clause 
was evidently inserted purposely to exclude all bidders 
except the commerical company. 

When the time came for the opening of the bids, 
General Miller was on the ground. All the bids were 
rejected, except two, because the parties presenting 
them had no experience in the business. The bid of 
the Alaska Commercial Company was much lower 
than the competing bids, but the company was given 
the lease at the price of the competing bid, which gave 
it a franchise for twenty-five years. A contract that 
was worth millions annually. 

I knew Louis Sloss intimately. He died about 
1902. 

He was a man of many noble traits of character 
generous and charitable. He was highly esteemed 
and respected; not only by his business associates, but 
by all citizens of San Francisco. 



CHAPTER X 

Of those who followed mining in California in the 
early days very few became the subsequent millionaires 
of the state. The large fortunes were made through 
investments in land and business enterprises. 

James Lick came to California in 1848 and settled 
in San Jose. He invested in country and city property. 
The hundred vara lot, 275x275 feet, on which is built 
the Lick House, he bought in 1848 for sixteen ounces 
of gold dust, or $256. When he died this property 
alone was worth several millions of dollars. 

He founded the Lick flouring mills at San Jose, the 
first, I think, in the state, and which paid handsomely. 
He invested his accumulations in real estate, and at 
the time of his death, in 1877, he left an estate of about 
$8,000,000. He was by trade a piano-maker; and, 
I have heard, owing to some domestic trouble, left 
his wife in New York, emigrated to Buenos Ayres, 
thence to San Francisco shortly after the discovery 
of gold. 

Lick was a woman-hater. If a woman entered one 
door of his office he would disappear through another. 
He would never speak to a woman, or have any trans- 
actions with them whatever. 

He employed his son and nephew for many years 
as managers of his estate, at nominal salaries, always 

152 



The Gold Hunters of California 153 

assuring them that their reward would come after 
his death. Then in his will he divided his estate in a 
most eccentric manner. First, he left a large sum 
to foimd the Lick Observatory, an equal amount for 
the establishment of an academy of arts and sciences; 
quite a large sum to the Pioneer Society of California; 
a sum for the erection of a monument to the memory 
of Francis Barton Key, author of "The Star Spangled 
Banner"; another for a monument to his own ancestors; 
and various other bequests, but overlooking his son 
and nephew entirely. His son was paid by the trustees 
of the estate, if I remember rightly, $300,000 in order 
to avoid litigation, but the nephew received nothing. 

Horace Hawes was another strange character, whose 
fortune was made in San Francisco real estate. 

Hawes was a lawyer. 

Under the old Mexican law the Pueblo of San Fran- 
cisco was given almost all the land on the peninsula 
for the benefit of the citizens of the pueblo to graze 
or cultivate at will. With the advent of Americans 
came " squatters" on all these pueblo and outside lands. 
The titles to these were subsequently confirmed to 
those in possession, by act of the legislature, and now 
cover much of the most desirable residence and busi- 
ness property of the city. 

Horace Hawes held a large tract of this land, which 
formed the foundation for the millions of dollars he 
left at his demise in the early seventies. He was a 
very penurious man, vain and ambitious. 

Hawes represented San Francisco in the state senate 



154 The Gold Hunters of California 

in 1863 to 1867; and besides passing a bill giving him- 
self and others titles to their pueblo lands, bore a 
leading part in all the legislation of the two sessions. 
He was a man of conceded ability, but very eccentric 
and very vindictive. He introduced and passed the 
first registry law of the state, a cumbersome and in- 
tricate law, puzzling to the most astute of lawyers. 
But no doubt it suited the author, for when it was 
under discussion in the senate and a brother senator 
called attention to some of its defects, Hawes declared 
that it was " about as perfect as human ingenuity 
could make it." 

He conceived a great animosity to his colleague, 
Senator Dodge, which he made no effort to conceal 
either in public or private. In a debate upon some 
measure, where, as usual, they opposed each other 
Hawes once said: 

"Mr. President: — I have traveled a great deal dur- 
ing my life, not only in my own country, but in the 
British Isles and Europe. Among other places I have 
visited the 'Eternal City/ While in Rome I saw the 
art gallery of the Vatican, and I was delighted with 
the many beautiful paintings of the old masters there 
exhibited. One in particular commanded my atten- 
tion. It was Christ and His Disciples at the Last 
Supper; and had I not known, Mr. President, from 
the antiquity of the picture, that such a thing was im- 
possible, I should have thought that Senator Dodge 
sat for the portrait of Judas Iscariot." 

At another time Nap. Broughton, the great lobbyist 



The Gold Hunters of California 155 

of his day, presented a bill to Hawes and urged him 
to support it in the senate, when the following con- 
versation occurred : 

"Is this a strictly honest bill, Mr. Broughton?" 

"Yes, Senator, else I should not ask you to support it." 

"No little thieving clauses in it, Mr. Broughton?' 

"None, whatever, Senator.'' 

"I am sorry for you, Mr. Broughton. No honest 
bill can pass this session. I would advise you to re- 
vise it, Mr. Broughton; put in a few little stealing 
clauses, give it to Senator Dodge, and it will pass 
without a doubt." 

Lord Erskine said, "lawyers worked hard, lived 
well and died poor." Horace Hawes reversed this 
rule. He worked hard, lived poor and died rich. At 
his death his will in which he disinherited his wife, 
was set aside, and the property divided between his 
wife and son. 

Michael Rees, James Phelan, John Center, Sam 
Merritt and Jack Hayes were among those who made 
millions from the advance in real estate in San Fran- 
cisco and Oakland. 

Colonel John C. Hayes, or as he was more familiar- 
ly known, Jack Hayes, the Mexican war veteran, was 
the first sheriff of San Francisco. 

Upon his retirement from political life he bought a 
Spanish land grant, a large portion of which is com- 
prised within the present city of Oakland. For many 
years he had constant litigation with those who squatted 
upon this land. Some time in 1864 or 1865, all legal 



156 The Gold Hunters of California 

contests having been decided in his favor, he finally 
perfected the title to his property, and the land in the 
interval had so appreciated in value that he found 
himself a millionaire. Had it been so he could have 
disposed of it when he wished, the probabilities are 
that he never would have been numbered among the 
rich men of the state. 

Colonel Hayes was about five feet eleven inches in 
height, thin and spare, weighing about one hundred 
and fifty pounds. He was modest and retiring with 
nothing to indicate the dare-devil soldier that he was. 
In private life he was a kind, generous and hospitable 
neighbor. 

Hayes was a born soldier and leader of men, but 
indifferent and careless as to the rules governing mili- 
tary life. The following anecdote, which was told to 
me by General Wood, will illustrate this, so I give it 
here: 

When the fight was the thickest around the City of 
Mexico, " Padre Juan/' with his guerrillas, proved a 
serious menance to the invading army, lariating and 
killing all stragglers. 

General Scott ordered Hayes, then promoted to 
be a colonel in the regular army, to pursue and punish 
the Padre. Hayes made the expedition and after about 
a week or ten days returned to camp, but made no 
report to his superior officer. General Scott, after a 
few days, learned that Hayes' command was in camp, 
and that they had had a brush with the Padre, so 
sent for Colonel Hayes. 



The Gold Hunters of California 157 

It should be borne in mind that General Scott was 
a veritable Martinet in enforcing military discipline. 
After Hayes was seated in the commander's head- 
quarters, Scott said: 

" Colonel Hayes, I have received no report of your 
expedition against the Padre/' 

"I did not think it worth while," said Hayes. 

"Every officer of the army is required to make a 
full report of everything to his superior officer. Please 
make your report verbally." 

Hayes began by saying that he struck the Padre's 
trail on a certain day, followed it for two days, and on 
the third day, while his command was resting at noon 
and taking their " siesta," the old Padre came down 
on them. That the boys gathered themselves together 
and whipped the Mexicans off, killing quite a number 
of the Padre's command. His own loss being insig- 
nificant; one killed and three wounded. 

" Surprised you, eh?" queried Scott. 

"Yes, we were not expecting him." 

"Where were your pickets?" 

"Did not have any." 

"What! A colonel in the regular army of the United 
States go into camp in the heart of the enemy's country 
and never place a picket on guard? What would you 
do if surprised while asleep?" 

"Shoot the first man that waked me up," was the 
cool reply. 

Scott said that Hayes was simply incorrigible. 



158 The Gold Hunters of California 

Hayes never drilled his command; with him it was 
"Come on boys," and they followed where he led. 

After the battle of Monterey in which his gallantry 
was conspicuous, a number of young lieutenants, 
graduates of West Point, visited his camp to pay their 
compliments to "Fighting Jack." They found him 
frying bacon, surrounded by soldiers, with nothing 
to distinguish him from those about him. 

"Where can we find Colonel Hayes?" inquired the 
spokesman. 

"I think you will find him over yonder," pointing 
to a group of men about a hundred yards away. 

Riding over to the group indicated the young men 
made the same inquiry. To their surprise and chagrin 
they were informed that the man with the frying-pan 
was the officer they were in search of. 

They rode back to their headquarters without fur- 
ther effort to make his acquaintance. 

Here is an anecdote told me by Hayes himself : 

Hayes said that on entering the City of Mexico 
very strict orders had been issued against pillaging, 
but that he discovered one of his men, John Garvin, 
coming out of a church with a gold crucifix in his hand. 

"I ordered him to take it back," said Hayes in the 
relation to me, "the man hesitated and replied: 'Now, 
Colonel, I have got a wife and three children back in 
Texas, and this little Jesus will do us a power of good/ 

"I reiterated my command, peremptorily, to take 
it back, and rode away," continued Hayes, "but I am 



The Gold Hunters of California 159 

satisfied that for the first and perhaps the last time in 
his life John stuck to his Jesus." 

At the outset of the Civil War Jefferson Davis, who 
knew Colonel Hayes' record, offered him the command 
of all the cavalry forces in the Mississippi Valley. In 
order to accept this offer Hayes tried to borrow $25,000 
to leave with his wife and family, but failing to do so, 
remained in California, Which, as the results proved, 
was much better for both himself and those dependent 
upon him. He became a very rich man by remaining 
in the Golden State. 

Not alone in city property was large fortunes made 
in California in the early days, but in agricultural 
lands as well. A large amount of land, particularly 
in the southern counties, was covered by Spanish grants, 
and these lands were sold at from thirty-five to fifty 
cents an acre. Many of them now in a high state of 
cultivation, covered with orange orchards, vineyards, 
walnut and olive groves, are worth from three hundred 
to five hundred dollars per acre. The land laws of 
the government did not limit the amount an individual 
or a firm could enter, which opened up a wide field 
for speculators and land-grabbers. 

During the sixties when greenbacks were worth 
from sixty to seventy cents on the dollar and the gov- 
ernment price was one dollar and a quarter in green- 
backs, the land offices of California did a thriving busi- 
ness. 

In the northern counties of Sutter, Yuba, Butte, 



160 The Gold Hunters of California 

Tehama and Colusa, which are now the granary of the 
state, farming up to 1860 was confined to the river 
bottoms. The uplands were considered valueless, 
except for grazing. 

I remember a trip I made to Colusa County in 1857. 
The land seemed to be traversed in all directions by 
fissures from six to twenty feet deep; not arroyos or 
canyons, but open cracks in the soil. There were no 
trees, bushes or vegetation of any kind. And had any 
one told me that in five years it would all be brought 
under cultivation, I should have thought him crazy. 
But such proved to be the fact. 

Dr. Glenn, a Missourian, who made quite a for- 
tune driving cattle across the plains, entered about 
two townships of these lands and introduced summer 
fallowing; that is, ploughing deep in the spring and 
summer and seeding it in September and October, so 
as to get the full benefit of the winter rains. The 
rains in California begin in November and continue 
until April. This method proved successful, and these 
uplands became the most productive wheat lands of 
the state. 

Glenn used to cultivate from forty to forty-five 
thousand acres annually, and his ranch, it is said, 
produced yearly, in wheat, barley, wool, sheep and 
cattle to the gross value of one and a quarter millions 
of dollars. He very frequently chartered vessels and 
marketed his wheat in Liverpool. 

It was an inspiring sight to witness this immense 
area being prepared for seeding. As far as the eye 




"It zhust makes me zick, right here." — Page 180. 



The Gold Hunters of California 161 

could reach could be seen large gang-plows, each drawn 
by six animals, turning up the soil. Glenn's example 
inspired others to go and do likewise, and every one 
took all the land he could get. A ranch of six hundred 
and forty acres was considered small. The main 
part of the farmers cultivated from four to ten thou- 
sand acres annually, and as wheat bore a good price 
fortunes were thus accumulated rapidly. 

Men borrowed money at from two to three per cent, 
a month to invest in land and grew rich by the trans- 
action. 

Major Bidwell emigrated to California some time 
prior to the Mexican War and settled near what is now 
the town of Chico, in Butte County. He secured a 
Spanish grant covering a large area of fertile land, 
which he cultivated profitably up to his death, which 
occurred some time in the early eighties. He founded 
large industrial enterprises near his home; was a public- 
spirited citizen and accumulated a large fortune. 

Mr. Bidwell served one term in congress, at the 
outset of the Civil War. 

Irrigation was first introduced by the Mormons in 
San Bernardino County; and was rapidly extended 
into the San Joaquin and Kern River valleys. 

The waters of King, Kern and other rivers are now 
spread over the adjacent country, so that where thirty 
years ago were barren wastes are now productive 
fields. 

Where now stands the flourishing city of Fresno, 
in the heart of the rich raisin-growing section of the 



162 The Gold Hunters of California 

state, in 1870 was also a barren waste. When water 
was first spread on the land it was sold in lots of twenty 
acres each for twenty dollars per acre. Since it has 
been improved and devoted to raisin-culture, this 
land commands from three hundred to five hundred 
dollars per acre. 

In 1870 Haggin and Carr entered some three hundred 
thousand acres of land in Kern County, near the town 
of Bakersfield. It cost a large outlay of time and 
money to reclaim it, but now it is all under cultiva- 
tion, and John B. Haggin, who bought the interest 
of his partner, W. B. Carr, is sole owner of this princely 
domain. 

The firm of Miller & Lux also acquired title to a 
large estate in this section. Visiting at Visalia once 
upon a time, I knew Henry Miller to enter in one day 
six townships of land. In 1872 I drove through one 
of their fields which was enclosed by a wire fence, and 
through which we drove for fifty miles. 

Upon the death of Lux, some fifteen years ago, I 
saw a statement that their estate was valued at 
$20,000,000, mostly in live stock and lands. They 
were wholesale butchers of cattle in San Francisco, 
and with Dumphey and Hildreth, for many years en- 
joyed a monopoly of the business. 

Lux attended to the butchering and selling in the 
city. I had only a slight acquaintance with him, 
but I knew Henry Miller well. Both were hardwork- 
ing, shrewd Dutchmen, with a thorough knowledge 
of the business in which they were engaged. Miller 



The Gold Hunters of California 163 

especially was one of the most energetic men I ever 
knew. He was about five feet eight inches high and 
weighed about a hundred and fifty pounds, all bone 
and muscle, with no surplus flesh, and endowed with 
unlimited powers of endurance. Miller attended to 
the ranches, breeding of stock, buying of the cattle 
and driving them to market. He had the reputation 
of being the best buyer in the state. Prompt and 
decisive, he would examine a lot of cattle, make an 
offer and not vary from it. I never heard of his pay- 
ing too much for his cattle but once. The story was 
told me by Barton, of Santa Barbara, and here it is: 

The firm of Miller & Lux had not long been estab- 
lished, and it was just after the Easter holidays. Bar- 
ton had a herd of cattle for sale, and was the first to 
approach San Francisco. He had a drove of three 
hundred and fifty head, and on a certain day met 
Miller at Gilroy, who inquired of Barton when and 
where the cattle he had for sale could be seen. 

"They are down the road about five miles from 
here," said Barton. 

"Veil/' said Miller, "you go ahead, round up your 
cattle; I vill be dere in haf an hour." 

Barton proceeded down the road and met his cattle. 
He had always observed that animals looked larger 
on top of the hill, looking up at them than when stand- 
ing above and looking down; it occurred to him to take 
advantage of this fact to make his cattle appear as 
well as possible in making the trade with Miller. See- 
ing a little knoll near by, he had his vaqueros drive 



164 The Gold Hunters of California 

the herd upon it ready for inspection. Miller came, 
looked the bunch over and inquired the price. 

"Forty dollars a head/' said Barton. 

"I von't gif it; I gives you thirty- tree tollars. You 
delifer dem at Redwood City," was Miller's decision. 

Barton said he knew of three other herds coming 
up behind him; and also that Miller would never ad- 
vance his offer, so accepted it and Miller said: 

"How much money you want now? I gif you five 
tousand dollar, and de balance ven der cattle are 
delifered." 

"No," said Barton, "I only want enough to pay 
my men now; give me five hundred dollars and I will 
get the balance when I come to the city." 

"All right," agreed Miller, handing him a check for 
the amount stated. 

About two weeks later Barton called at the office 
of the firm in San Francisco to get the money coming 
to him. After settlement of the business, Miller said 
to him: 

"Barton, dem cattle dies de lightest, to look so big 
of any steers I effer saw. Vat is de matter mit 'em?" 

Laughingly Barton replied: 

"If you will treat to wine, Miller, I will tell you." 

"I do it," said Miller. 

The wine was produced, and as they passed the social 
cup, Barton proceeded to explain why the cattle "died 
so light," 

"You remember, Miller, when you bought my cattle 



The Gold Hunters of California 1G5 

the drove was standing on a hill, and you were look- 
ing up." 

"Yes, yes! Dot's it, dot's it! I puys no more cattle 
on de hill-tops!" concluded the sagacious man. And 
Barton seemed to think that Miller always kept his 
vow. 

When I first knew Miller it was not unusual for him 
to ride seventy or eighty miles a day. When, on ac- 
count of high water, his cattle would bog down, no 
cowboy would work harder to rescue them than did 
he. At every ranch he had a foreman, and if Miller 
ever found a pelt or skin, or anything else of minutest 
value, allowed to go to waste, he would raise a storm 
his foreman would not soon forget. He would go 
from one ranch to another, borrowing from one to 
pay up another, making no memoranda, keeping no 
books, but carrying in his memory every transaction 
of the trip perfectly, and give the account accurately 
to his book-keeper upon returning to his office in the 
city. These trips frequently extended over thirty 
days. Monthly statements were sent to each foreman, 
and they were always found to be perfectly correct. 

None knew better than Miller the value of a reliable, 
efficient man, and he always rewarded such. Many 
men now financially independent owe their start in 
life to him. 

Once, on one of his Kern County ranches he had a 
foreman with whom he quarreled. The foreman said: 

"If it were not that you are a smaller man than I, I 
would beat you half to death." 



166 The Gold Hunters of California 

At this Miller threw off his coat and went for the 
man. The foreman succeeded in giving him a good 
trouncing, then demanded a settlement, which was 
made. That all over with Miller apologized and hired 
the man over again, with an advance in wages. He 
knew he had a good man. 

So large were the possessions of this firm of Miller & 
Lux, it was said they could drive their cattle from 
Los Angeles County to San Francisco, camping each 
night on their own land. 

I remember meeting Miller once at Firebaugh's 
Ferry on the San Joaquin River, when he was buying 
so much land. It was at breakfast, and a man called 
Hog Johnson began to criticise Miller's purchases, 
when Miller turned to him and said: 

"Hog, you knows dere iss more peoples born into de 
vorld effery year dan dies out of it, don't you?" 

"Yes," admitted Hog. 

"Veil, dey all haf to lif off de land, and dere iss no 
more land borned effery year." 

A wise maxim, which if I had followed in early life 
in California, I might now be a millionaire instead of 
having spent most of my days in running through 
drifts, tunnels and shafts. Large fortunes were made 
by the purchase of Spanish land grants for a mere 
pittance compared with the great value to which they 
subsequently attained. 

Colonel W. W. Hollister, Flint & Bixby, Lieutenant 
Edward F. Beale, James Irvine and the Murphys of 



The Gold Hunters of California 167 

San Jose, and many others amassed millions of dollars 
in this way. 

Flint & Bixby, and James Irvine, in 1857, or about 
that time, bought a grant of land in Los Angeles County 
containing 110,000 acres, at ten cents an acre, which 
gave them large returns as a sheep ranch, and subse- 
quently, about 1874, James Irvine bought out his 
partners. At his death, in 1887, it was valued at two 
and a quarter millions. In 1873 Lucky Baldwin 
bought from Newmark & Co. the Santa Anita ranch 
in the same county, for $150,000. He holds it to-day, 
and it is one of the most beautiful places in southern 
California. 

These are only a few of the many illustrations of 
the large fortunes acquired by the advancement of 
the price of land in the state. 

The holding of great areas of land in one body for 
some time retarded the growth of California, but of 
late years the process of subdivision has been going 
steadily forward. Where once the land was devoted 
to grazing, it is now appropriated by agriculturists 
and horticulturists, who are enriching commerce with 
their fruit and grain, building up towns and cities, 
and making homes for a great and ever-increasing 
population. 

No state in the Union presents greater and more 
favorable opportunities to the cultivator of the soil 
than does California. While the day is passed when 
he may become a millionaire by the investment of a 
few thousands in land, yet he can earn enough to keep 



168 The Gold Hunters of California 

his family in affluence, and have a competency for 
his declining years, and with one-half of the labor 
necessary to make a bare living in many of the Eastern 
states. 

These are the men to give strength and stability to 
a state. The tiller of the soil has his home and is de- 
pendent on God and his own exertions alone for sup- 
port. 

The capitalist can clip the coupons from his bonds 
in any place or in any land, but the cultivator of his 
acres is as much a part of the land as the eternal hills 
that surround him. Every tree has its memory, every 
field its history to endear it to his heart. When danger 
threatens the country, his sons are the first and fore- 
most in the defence of state and home, to defy death 
in the wild havoc of war. 

Intelligent selfishness rules the world. But often 
those who in quest of gold explore new lands, build 
better than they dream of. So it was with those who: 

In the days of old, 

In days of gold, 

In the days of "Forty-nine." 

Were the pioneers of California. Their enterprise, 
their intelligence and their industry laid broad and 
deep the foundations of the empire of the Pacific Slope. 

Not California alone, but Nevada, Idaho and Arizona 
as well. 

They promoted the imperial city of San Francisco, 
where the argosies of the world, passing her Golden 



The Gold Hunters of California 169 

Gate, stop to pay tribute to her commercial suprem- 
acy. 

And best of all, bequeathed to those who came after 
them civic virtues so great that to be a California^ in 
the truest sense is to be a broad-minded, liberal, brave 
and generous man. One whose word is his bond, 
whose honesty is unquestioned and whose patriotism 
is intensely sublime. 



CHAPTER XI 

As heretofore stated, placer mining in California 
was practically exhausted in 1857. After this, atten- 
tion was more particularly directed to gravel mining. 
That is to the uncovering of the "Old River Beds" of 
the state. These were called "Blue Gravel Diggings." 

It was not until the uncovering of the Comstock Lode, 
which finally produced over $600,000,000, that any 
great attention was directed to quartz mining. This 
discovery occurred in 1859, and was made by a man 
named Comstock, an old prospector. Comstock sold 
his location for a few thousand dollars and spent the 
money royally while it lasted. 

This discovery, where ore was found near the surface 
so rich in value, it ranged from $300 to $500 per ton, 
immediately drew to Virginia City, in the Territory of 
Washoe, a large influx of miners. The vein or ledge 
in the Comstock was continuous for several miles. 

I first visited Virginia City in 1860. At that time 
there were few houses but a great many tents. Mining 
claims were located by feet and sold by feet. We were 
all ignorant of vein mining. At that time there were 
no technical mining schools in America where a miner 
could graduate. About all the technical knowledge 
that could be obtained on such lines, at that time, was 
in a mining school in Freiberg, Germany. While 

170 



The Gold Hunters of California 171 

Freiberg graduated fine chemists and assayers, they 
were ignorant concerning mineral veins in the western 
mining world as the rest of us. 

In the year 1860-61 B. Davidson & Co., the San 
Francisco agents of the Rothschilds secured an option 
upon the "Mexican Mine/' at Gold Hill on the Coin- 
stock. The Rothschilds sent the best experts from 
Europe, graduates of Freiberg, to examine the ledge. 
These experts reported it worthless, because it was a 
contact vein. Mr. Davidson thereupon surrendered 
the option to the owners, one of whom expressed his 
gratification at getting it back. 

"For," said he, "we can get three times the amount 
your option calls for." 

"I am glad of it, boys," said Davidson, "but the 
Rothschilds do not speculate, they invest." 

In less than five years from that time the Roths- 
childs, like all the speculative world, were "investing" 
in Comstock. 

The old text-books of Freiberg taught that while 
mineral might appear in contact veins, mines were 
never permanent except in fissure veins. They also 
taught that carbonate ore carrying gold and silver 
was never found except in specimen form. Both fal- 
lacies have long since been exploded by the deveJ^ 
ment of the mineral veins and irregular depots of 
the West. 

First among the Comstock group to yield large re- 
turns was the "Ophir Mine." How many lineal feet 
there were in this claim, or for that matter, in any of 



172 The Gold Hunters of California 

them, I do not know, but it sold for $5,000 a foot in 
1860-61, and was paying about $500 per foot monthly 
in dividends. 

The "Gould and Curry" claim was also a large bonanza. 
Ore was found there near the surface. Not an assess- 
ment was levied. This stock rose to $7,500 per foot. 

Fortunes were made rapidly. 

Virginia City became at once the theater of great 
activity. Around the town were hundreds of pros- 
pectors. Every day men would come into camp with 
their pockets full of rocks, claiming to have discovered 
a rich mine. 

The Comstock claim was located to the extent of 
six or seven miles in length. Much rich ore was found. 
The important question was how to reduce the ore. 
Most of the ore was reduced by the old "patios" system, 
which came to us from Mexico. 

Necessity, ever the "mother of invention," soon 
discovered and perfected the steam silver-reduction 
mills, and many custom mills were put up. At first 
they charged $100 per ton for reducing the ores, guar- 
anteeing to return 60 per cent of its assay value. In 
1862 the "Gould and Curry" built a very fine mill. 

Everything was conducted on the most gigantic and 
extravagant scale. An Eastern man of that day, 
accustomed to accumulate by pennies, would have 
been astounded at the wasteful expenditure on every 
side. 

Charlie Strong, who had failed in the stationery 
business in San Francisco, was installed as superintend- 



The Gold Hunters of California 173 

nit of the "Gould and Curry," because he was "a 
good fellow/' and received a salary of $1,000 per month, 
and $1,000 to be used in entertaining. When the 
stock was selling for $1,000 a foot, Michael llees, of 
San Francisco, came up to inspect the mine, in which 
he was part owner. Seeing a large supply of cham- 
pagne being unloaded at the superintendent's door, 
and not approving of that method of running a mine, 
he returned to San Francisco and sold out his stock 
at $12,000 a foot. In a very short time he bought it 
back, paying $2,200 a foot, 

John 0. Earle, afterwards one of San Francisco's 
millionaires borrowed $5,000 and invested it in this 
mine. He realized from the same an independent 
fortune, and had sense enough to invest it in San 
Francisco real estate and thereafter let stock gambling 
on Pine Street alone. A. B. McCreary, a brother-in- 
law to Judge Stephen J. Field, also bought stock in 
this mine, and received his dividends until the point 
was reached when he realized that the mine was worked 
out. Then he sprang aboard a steamer bound for 
New York, where he sold his stock at about $7,000 
a foot. 

He invested these proceeds in San Francisco prop- 
erty, married, and, as far as I know, lived and died 
a rich man. 

A rugged specimen of the "wild and woolly West" 
was Sandy Bowers. He could hardly read or write. 
He made a large fortune on the Comstock, and like 
many others, built himself a fine residence, married, 



174 The Gold Hunters of California 

spent his money lavishly, was generous to a fault, 
and died very poor. 

Shortly after the Comstock discovery a mining 
stock exchange was organized in San Francisco, with 
branches in Virginia City and at other points. 

Speculation in all the Comstock schemes ran up 
to fever heat. The whole gambling world invested 
in them, and San Francisco banks accepted them as 
security. There were not enough feet to go around, 
so share companies were organized. 

Fortunes were made and lost in a clay upon the 
exchange. Servant girls, school teachers, clerks, bar- 
tenders — everybody was in the whirlpool of chance 
in mining speculations. 

The late John W. Mackay first appeared on the 
Comstock as a day laborer. 

At one time "Jimmie" Fair occupied the same hum- 
ble position. 

A little saloon was kept on Washington Street, San 
Francisco, where men of all kinds mingled to "take a 
drink.'' Here many a plebian treated with the future 
resident of "Knob Hill." Flood & O'Brien, the men 
who kept this little saloon made big money there. 

In 1874 was uncovered the largest bonanza ever found 
upon the ledge in the "Consolidated Virginia" and the 
"California," at a depth of about 1,200 feet. From 
these two mines there was extracted $200,000,000. The 
dividends were nearly $80,000,000. 

A picturesque and strong figure was W. C. Ralston, 
who came to San Francisco about the time of the dis- 



The Gold Hunters of California 175 

covery of the Comstock. He had been a banker in 
connection with Commodore Garrison and Captain Fretz, 
on the Isthmus of Panama. He founded a bank in 
San Francisco in connection with Joseph A. Donahue 
and Eugene Kelly, under the firm name of Donahue, 
Ralston & Co. He remained with this bank but a 
short time when he started the Bank of California. 

D. 0. Mills, now of New York, was formerly a banker 
in Sacramento, and joined Ralston. It was said that 
Mill's capital at the time was about $100,000. But 
such capitalists as Haggin & Tevis, Nick Luning, 
Michael Rees, John O. Earle and others united with 
them. 

To the best of my recollection this was in 1865. 
Five million dollars was the capital of the bank. Will- 
iam Sharon was practically bankrupt at the time but 
Ralston made him agent of the bank at Virginia City. 
Ralston, it is said, selected Sharon because he was a 
good poker player. Some of the board of directors 
objected to Sharon because he played poker — when 
Ralston inquired if he played it well. The reply was 
that no one on the coast could play better. 

"Then," said Ralston, "he is the very man we want." 

Ralston and Sharon made a great deal of money 
out of the Belcher Mine, and incidentally many of their 
friends shared their good fortune. Out of their divi- 
dends fine hotels were erected. The Palace Hotel 
stands to-day a monument to the enterprise of Ralston. 
A watch factory was started and carriage works were 
set in motion. The California Theater was built and 



176 The Gold Hunters of California 

Ralston put in and backed, to an unlimited extent, 
the late John McCullough, who brought to the Coast 
the best available theatrical material the English 
speaking people could produce. 

Lawrence Barrett, Edwin Adams, — a great actor — 
the universally beloved Thomas Keene, Robert Bate- 
man, Bella Pateman, Adelaide Neilson, John E. Owens, 
John T. Raymond, Edwin Booth, Mrs. Judah, Mes- 
tayer, Emily Melville and many others of note were 
members of that famous stock company. 

Ralston was a broad-minded man, intensely devoted 
to San Francisco, the city of his adoption. 

Just before this time the overland stage line had 
been established. Telegraphic communication between 
San Francisco and New York had also been accom- 
plished. 

Daily quotations of the stock of the leading mines 
on the Comstock were sent over the wires to all finan- 
cial points in the world. The monthly dividends in 
1863-64-65 were very large; and under the peculiar 
California system of assessing mining stocks there was 
no lack of money for the development of any mining 
claim. 

Washoe Territory, under the name of Nevada, was 
admitted to the Union and all her legislation was 
favorable to the mining interests. 

The entire Pacific Coast felt the new impetus given 
by mining. 

The prospectors with their burros started on their 
tours of discovery more elated and hopeful than ever, 



The Gold Hunters of California 177 

and many new mining districts were opened up. Not 
only in Nevada, but in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Arizona 
and Old Mexico. 

San Francisco flourished as a great port of entry for 
the Pacific Coast. Facilities for shipping increased and 
rapidly multiplied. 

The steam paddy — a huge shovel operated by steam 
— was used to level the sand-hills and extend the area 
of business streets along the water front. 

California held to the gold standard. 

All contracts were made payable in gold, which 
gave the importers a distinct advantage over any other 
city in the Union. Gold appreciating, as it rapidly 
did, from 1861 to 1864, gave the merchants of San Fran- 
cisco an opportunity to buy their supplies on credit of 
from four to five or six months. They sold their gold 
at a premium that really amounted to a discount of 
from 20 to 30 per cent upon the original purchase 
price of the merchandise. 

Under the combined influence of the war and the 
great mining activity put in motion by the Comstock, 
the population of California largely and rapidly in- 
creased. Again a flood of speculation came from all 
parts of the world. 

Brokers and bankers in London, Paris, Berlin, as 
well as in New York and all eastern centers had their 
agents and representatives in San Francisco. The 
wheel of Monte Carlo was as nothing compared with 
the game on Pine Street at this time. Everything 
was traveling at white heat throughout the Pacific 



178 The Gold Hunters of California 

Coast. New mines were opened every day. Holes in 
the ground in newly discovered districts were sold 
at what would now seem fabulous prices. Some not 
over ten feet would bring from $10,000 to $50,000. 
All tricks of the trade in mine dealing and mining specu- 
lating were employed to capture the eager, infatuated 
hunters for rapidly made fortunes. One among many 
instances I recall ; that of a broker who was floating a 
wildcat scheme: 

He proposed to a teacher in the Lincoln school that 
if she would invest $500 he would guarantee her $1,000 
profit in four months; but told her she must not men- 
tion the matter to any one. Of course, as he expected, 
she carried the news to her associated teachers as quickly 
as possible. 

The broker found a ready market for his stock not 
only among the teachers but the parents of many of 
the pupils. He made good his guarantee, but how 
much the other investors lost has never been ascertained. 

About the year 1867 the dividends of the Comstock 
suffered a heavy decline. There was some doubt as 
to its permanency. The Bank of California with 
Ralston at its head had been a great factor in this devel- 
opment. From a conservative standpoint Ralston was 
not a banker but a bold, fearless operator; ready at 
all times to back his judgment on any and every enter- 
prise that interested him. He and Sharon held con- 
trol of the " Belcher" mine on the Comstock. Alvinsa 
Hay ward controlled the "Crown Point." Hay ward had 
owned the Lincoln gold mine in Amador County, Cali- 



The Gold Hunters of California 179 

fornia. At one time he found his money gone and credit 
exhausted, or so the story goes. He appealed to an 
old sporting friend who gave him $5,000 which enabled 
him to exploit his mine and gradually it became a big 
paying property. He sold it out in 1864 for $1,000,000 
and entered the list of operators on the Comstock. Hit 
sporting friend never saw a poor day after that. Hay- 
ward not only returned the money he borrowed, but 
thousands besides. 

In 1867 the Crown Point stock was selling at about 
$1.75 a share. That year Hayward's brother-in-law, 
John P. Jones, was defeated for lieutenant governor of 
California, on the Republican ticket, and Hayward 
made him superintendent of the Crown Point and 
said he would sink the mine one or two hundred 
feet deeper, then, if he found nothing would abandon 
it, 

At about 900 feet he struck what was known as the 
" Crown Point Bonanza," which extended into the 
Belcher. There never was an assessment levied on 
the Crown Point. They increased the shares of the 
company 18 to 1. The " Belcher" was selling at $2 a 
share, and after this body of ore was struck on the 
"Crown Point," they having in the meantime levied 
assessments to the extent of $11 a share, the Belcher 
shares were increase 24 for 1. This watered stock in 
Crown Point sold at about $300 a share, and in the 
Belcher about $250, making the original shares of the 
mines worth from $5,000 to $6,000 each and which had 
been formerly sold at $1.75 to $2. 



ISO The Gold Hunters of California 

I had a Jewish friend who had 500 shares in these 
mines. He sold them at an advance of fifty cents a 
share, thinking he was making good money by the 
trade. When a year afterwards the dividends on this 
watered stock amounted to $50 a share, which would 
have made his dividends $25,000, monthly, had he held 
his stock; and the market value of the whole, somewhere 
in the neighborhood of $3,000,000, the heart-broken 
fellow would come to me, with his hands pressing his 
stomach, and say: 

"Tom, Tom! If I had only held on to my Crown 
Point and my Belcher, vat millions vould I not haf. 
Ven I tinks off it, it zhust maks me zick right here." 

I sympathized with the poor man ; because I have seen 
many a speculator feel "zick right here" — meaning 
at heart — time and time again. 

The old saying "a miss is as good as a mile" is not 
always consoling. 

Cipher codes in telegraphy were first introduced in 
1863, upon the great Comstock mine in Virginia City, 
in this wise: 

It was rumored around the city that a great bonanza 
was about to be struck, I think in the "Hale and Nor- 
cross" mine. The superintendent was expected to 
make a report by telegraph on a certain evening. 

An agent and assistant of a leading San Francisco 
broker who was himself a telegraph operator, had it 
arranged with his employer that when he found that 
such a report was to be made he would go to Reno, 
outside of Virginia City — then, as now, a station on 



The Gold Hunters of California 181 

the Central Pacific — where he would listen and read 
the ticking of the message passing over the line. He 
had it understood with his partner, that if he sent 
to San Francisco a dispatch reading: 

"I have sold my team," his partner should lose no 
time in buying up all the stock he could get his fingers 
on. 

It was a cold, bleak night when he went to Reno; 
snowing and sleeting with the wind blowing at the rate 
of sixty miles an hour as he drew up at the station. 
Housing his animals he asked the station operator 
for permission to sit by the stove and warm himself. 
The permission was given and he settled himself com- 
fortably. 

In a short time the instrument began ticking with a 
message passing over the line; and he heard the full 
report of rich ore having been uncovered that day. 

Soon afterward he handed the operator a message 
which he wished sent, and which read: 

"I have sold my team/' by which his partner was 
apprised of the valuable discovery at an early hour 
which gave him the advantage of his more tardy fellow- 
speculators. 

At that time a large amount of business was done on 
the streets in San Francisco, from seven to ten A. M., 
before the opening of the Board. So this broker had 
ample opportunity, that morning, before the Board 
convened, to secure a large block of stock, which he 
did without losing a moment's time; and by ten o'clock 
the price had advanced 100 per cent in price. 



182 The Gold Hunters of California 

To prevent recurrences like this, telegraph cipher 
codes were brought into use. 

The wagon road through Henness' Pass by way of 
Placerville was opened in 1861. A line of stages for 
passengers was placed on this road, and all supplies 
required in the mining camps of Nevada were trans- 
ported in " prairie schooners" — big wagons with twelve 
to sixteen mules to each wagon. Even this was an 
improvement over walking or traveling on the slow, 
little pack-mules, used previously. Few of this time 
and generation can fully understand and appreciate 
the great discomforts of travel undergone forty or 
fifty years ago, by those who blazed the trail to the 
far and golden West. Where then trod the lone pros- 
pector over rough, mountainous road, now runs the 
polished railroad trains, carrying with them every 
comfort and convenience the traveller could desire. 
Taking him over a distance in one day that would have 
required the early settler weeks of weary travel to 
traverse, and surrounded by many dangers from ex- 
posure to cold, savages and wild beasts. 

These prospectors were the pioneers of civilization. 

Along the path they made, soon followed first stages, 
now railroads. 

The young men of to-day would consider it quite a 
hardship to travel in a stage twenty-four hours with- 
out sleep; but to those of earlier times, to be able to 
get passage at all on a stage, jolting along over new, 
unused roads, for perhaps five or six days and nights 



The Gold Hunters of California 183 

at a stretch, were considered quite comfortable ac- 
commodations, indeed. 

Up to 1866 all communication was by stage between 
Marysville, Stockton and Sacramento, and the interior 
mining camps. At least twenty coaches a day left 
Marysville for the mines. Some of these Concord 
coaches carried thirty passengers; and were drawn by 
six horses. 

From Sacramento the stage travel was even greater. 
The drivers were paid at first from $100 to $150 per 
month. There was much rivalry among the drivers as 
to which was the most expert at the business. Indeed 
it required a cool head and a steady hand to handle 
six horses on the rough, sometimes dangerous mountain 
roads. But the driver's sole care was the management 
of his horses. At every station where the horses were 
changed a hostler unhitched the tired team and replaced 
it with fresh animals. After delivering his passengers 
at the end of his journey, the driver would take his 
team to the company barn, when his part of the work 
was finished, for that trip. 

Among those hardy drivers, strange to say, was once 
a woman; as good a driver as could be found. Dis- 
guised in male attire, she drove a stage for twenty 
years, from Knight's Ferry to Stockton, without any 
one suspecting her sex. 

About 1870 I made the trip with her. She was 
quite tall, broad shouldered and compactly built. Her 
face was much bronzed from exposure and she spoke 



184 The Gold Hunters of California 

in rather a masculine, falsetto voice. She was an ex- 
pert driver and handled her four horses with perfect 
ease, not excelled by any of the men. At that time 
she had established a reputation for coolness and 
bravery that many a man, thirsting for notoriety might 
have envied. 

Once, during a time of extreme high water in the 
Tuolumne River, when she reached its banks, found 
the river greatly swollen and essayed to cross. She 
could feel the trembling of the bridge beneath the 
horses' feet; while below was the rush and whirl of angry 
waters. Instantly her resolution was taken, and with- 
out hesitation she sharply plied the lash to her faithful 
animals, who sped forward with a bound only reaching 
the other shore as the bridge w T as swept away, and 
narrowly escaping death in the surging flood. 

At another time this brave creature was stopped by 
highwaymen, who demanded the express box she car- 
ried. At the points of levelled guns, deliberately she 
threw the box out, coolly remarking: 

"I was not thinking of this, but the next time you 
attempt to rob me I shall be fixed for you." 

She whipped up her horses and drove away. 

A few weeks afterwards when again two men at- 
tempted to stop her she shot the leader, applied the 
lash to her horses and escaped without harm. 

The body of the highwayman was found by a search- 
ing party in an old tunnel near the scene of the shooting. 

Some years later I read a newspaper account of her 
death; which occurred in Salinas Valley near the city 



The Gold Hunters of California 185 

of Watsonville, Monterey County. This article stated 
that after driving the stage over the same route for 
twenty-five years, she had, some two year previous 
to the writing, on account of suffering from rheumatism, 
given up stage driving and invested her earnings in a 
ranch near the town, There she led a quiet, industri- 
ous life, attending strictly to her own business, culti- 
vating her land alone. Being missed from her accus- 
tomed employments about the ranch by her neighbors, 
for several days, a search was made and her body was 
found cold in death, on her bed in her little cabin. 
In preparing the body for burial, to the utter surprise of 
every one it was discovered, for the first time, that she 
was a woman. Who she was, whence she came, what 
her previous history could have been, what crosses 
in love or disappointments in life had led her to assume 
the role, and do the work of a man, in one of the rough- 
est callings of life, are mysteries never to be solved. 
She died and gave no sign. 

I do not remember the name she bore. 

The old California Stage Company, founded in 1854, 
held a virtual monopoly of the business up to 1861. 
The magnitude of the business can be imagined when 
I state that in 1858 they sent Wash Montgomery, one 
of their agents, to Missouri and Kentucky who bought 
for them 1,200 head of horses and drove them across 
the plains for use on their lines. 

A quarrel ensued between the California Stage Com- 
pany, which at that time controlled all the stage travel 
of the coast, and the Wells, Fargo Company. This 



186 The Gold Hunters of California 

resulted in the latter placing an opposition line between 
Sacramento and Virginia City. This competition 
brought about a reduction of the fare from $40 to $3 
and a decrease in the running time to about thirty-six 
hours. The rate of speed being ten miles an hour, 
the most rapid rate of stage traveling of which I have 
ever heard in any part of the world. Considering the 
roughness of the road over which they traveled it was 
phenomenal. 

This rivalry between the two companies finally 
resulted in the failure of the California Stage Company, 
and the better establishment of the Wells, Fargo 
system, which still exists to-day. 



CHAPTER XII 

The human tree that developed into Wm. C. Ralston, 
was peculiarly a California production; in no other 
soil could it have taken root, grown and flourished. It 
was the genius of Ralston that made the Bank of Cali- 
fornia not only the greatest financial institution on the 
Coast, but one of the strongest in the country, and 
its resources were, under the direction of the master 
hand controlling its machinery, always directed to 
the industrial development of San Francisco, Califor- 
nia, and the Pacific Coast. Agriculture, mining, man- 
ufacturing and commerce were all aided, abetted and 
assisted. When the farmer needed money to harvest 
his crop, Ralston supplied it. 

If a new mine was opened, Ralston was ready with 
assistance. When I. C. Bateman had reached the 
point where a mill was needed on the Northern Belle, 
Ralston gave him his individual check for seventy- 
five thousand dollars as a personal loan without security 
to erect it, and Bateman and his partners made millions. 

When Stanford and his colleagues were pinched for 
money in constructing the Central Pacific Railroad, 
Ralston supplied it. When Peter Donahue needed 

187 



188 The Gold Hunters of California 

money to complete his road to Gilroy, Ralston advanced 
it. He and his friends built the Pioche Road in Nevada. 

He believed in California with its illimitable possi- 
bilities of soil and climate, and he believed in San 
Francisco as the future metropolis of the Setting Sun. 
He projected ocean lines to the Sandwich Islands, 
Australia, China and Japan. His industry and energy 
were everywhere in evidence, his dream was to make 
San Francisco a great manufacturing center. The 
Mission Woolen Mills, the lead works, refining works 
and nail works were built through his advice and assist- 
ance. He built a watch factory and carriage factory, 
which, had he lived, I have no doubt would have been 
in operation to-clay. He left among other monuments 
to his civic ambition and public enterprise, the Grand 
Hotel of five hundred rooms and the Palace Hotel of 
one thousand rooms. 

With great capacity for work, he grew strong under 
tasks that would have destroyed an ordinary man. 
Quick to grasp a proposition, whether of public or 
private enterprise, and to push it with a zeal that defied 
defeat, he infused into the business life of San Francisco 
the personality of his dominant energy and tireless 
enterprise. 

Without envy or malice, devoid of greed, generous, 
magnanimous and noble, he permitted others to reap 
when he had sown. If an enterprise failed to material- 
ize dollars, as rapidly as expected, rather than endure 
the winnings of faint-hearted partners, he would assume 
its burthens; indeed, it was a common saying applied 



The Gold Hunters of California 189 

to one of his associates, that Ralston caught the hares 
and his friend picked out the fat ones. 

His sympathy for his fellow-man was humanitarian; 
he never lost sight of the fact that he was the son of 
a carpenter and spent his early youth in shoving the 
jack-plane. He would always find time to find a good 
job for the working-man and to tide a struggling, worthy 
fellow over the tides of threatened danger. He payed 
labor the highest wage. It was he who induced James 
Lick to endow a technical school in San Francisco 
where young men could be educated in mechanical art. 

While he was the dominant power on the coast and 
beloved of all classes, Ralston had enemies most malig- 
nant and bitter, acting upon the reports of experts 
whom he confided in, he and his friends invested largely 
in Savage Stock, under the belief that the ore bodies 
of the Con. Virginia and California dipped into the 
Savage ground. There was one hundred and ten 
thousand shares in the mine and when the collapse 
came, it dropped from six hundred and fifty dollars 
per share to fifty dollars in a week. 

Then began a systematic assault through the columns 
of the Call and Bulletin upon Ralston and the Cali- 
fornia Bank. It was charged that he had defrauded 
the public in the Diamond Swindle elsewhere related 
in this book, when in fact he and others had taken 
hold of it upon a report made by one of the best experts 
of the city, Ralston putting in his own money and 
afterwards paying over $300,000 to those who bought 
in on his advice. The company was formed, but 



190 The Gold Hunters of California 

Ralston locked up the stock, refusing to sell a share 
until the value of the property was proven. 

It was also charged that he was about to revive the 
old De Hara claim to a large portion of the City of 
San Francisco, a falsehood most infamous in its con- 
ception and promulgation. These and other charges 
were made against Ralston, and with insinuations and 
indirect charges affecting the integrity of the Bank of 
California, were sent broadcast to every financial center. 
As the bank was drawing direct upon London, Paris, 
Antwerp, Berlin and other cities of Europe, it is not 
surprising that its credit was affected throughout the 
financial world, and that with assets non-converta- 
ble for the moment, it was not able to meet the constant 
drain upon its resources. 

The bank closed its doors on the 26th of August, 
1875. The enemies of Ralston had triumphed. He 
met his tragic death on the 27th. The Daily Alta of 
the 28th had the following: 

"The tragic story of yesterday is briefly told. The 
early morning saw W. C. Ralston departing from his 
home for the bank, leaving his wife and his children pen- 
niless — laying down his entire property, home and all, 
on the altar of financial honor. He sacrificed all, to 
help the bank. In the great pride of manhood, he 
met the Board of Trustees, men who, with few excep- 
tions, had been lifted by his genius, from obscurity to 
affluence. There were those among them (and we 
are informed that Mr. Sharon was one of those), who 
offered to stand by him until the last dollar, and the 
last drop of blood were gone. When the Board of 



The Gold Hunters of California 191 

Trustees met, Mr. Ralston was requested to withdraw, 
because they desired to consult on some matters which 
would require his absence. He withdrew to his office. 
Soon, he was waited upon by D. 0. Mills, who, by 
instructions of the Board, presented to him a copy of a 
resolution adopted by the Board, requesting his resigna- 
tion. Immediately he handed the required document to 
Mr. Mills, and after a few moment's conversation with 
a friend, he went from his office into the general bank- 
ing room, and never returned. It appears that he 
left the bank by the Sansome Street entrance, went 
up Sansome to Clay, thence to Stockton Street, and 
to the Bath House at North Beach. The proprietor 
of the bath suggested to him, upon his request for 
towels, that he was too warm to go into the water. 
It seems that he had walked all the way from the bank. 
His handkerchief and underclothing, when found and 
examined, nearly an hour after his death, were drip- 
ping with perspiration. And this is the story. We 
have no comment to make upon the agencies that 
brought about this result. 

"The streets were alive with people until a late hour 
last night, and at all points the sad event of the day, 
which has cast a gloom over the city, was the subject 
of discussion.' ' 

The following is the report of the Coroner's Jury: — 

"The deceased was William C. Ralston, late of the 
City and County of San Francisco. His age was 49 
years, and he was a native of Ohio. On Friday after- 
noon, August 27, 1875, Mr. Ralston, according to his 
habit of bathing there, proceeded to the North Beach 
for the purpose of sea bathing. He used every reason- 
able and proper precaution to reduce his bodily tem- 
perature before entering the water. He was carried by 



192 The Gold Hunters of California 

the flood tide beyond his power to return, and his 
exertions to regain the shore, added to the shock to 
his system by contact with the water, while he was 
overheated, produced congestion of the brain and 
vital organs. Hiis death was caused primarily by such 
congestion, and secondarily by drowning. The jury 
were unanimously of the opinion, and do find that 
Mr. Ralston's death was accidental. 

"Signed: 

J. B. Garniss, R. F. Morrow, 

C. L. Weller, J. R. Keene, 

H. F. Williams, W. H. L. Barnes, 

A. A. Cohen, J. C. L. Wadsworth. 

"The Coroner, after the jury had rendered their 
report, thanked them for the diligence and care they 
had exercised in arriving at their verdict. He also 
stated that he had left nothing undone that would 
bring out all the facts in the case." 

On Tuesday, August 29th, memorial sermons were 
preached in all the leading churches of the city. On 
Monday, the day of the funeral, San Francisco put on 
the garb of mourning, flags were at half-mast from 
public and private buildings throughout the city, and 
citizens en masse turned out to do honor to the memory 
of him who had been the master force in beautifying 
San Francisco and paving the way to the magnificent 
commercial importance she to-day enjoys. The pro- 
cession, three miles long, that on foot and in vehicles 
followed his remains to Lone Mountain, and the thou- 
sands of men, women and children that with bowed 
heads lined the streets along which passed the mourn- 




W. C. Ealston, Founder of the Bank 
of California. —Page 187. 



The Gold Hunters of California 193 

ful cortege was without class distinction in doing honor 
to California's most distinguished citizen; the laborer 
took his place by the side of the millionaire, all stood 
silent under shadow of great disaster, for it was recog- 
nized that in the untimely taking off of this man a 
great calamity had been visited upon the city and 
caused evils which time alone could repair. 

Even with his death and burial the tongue of slander 
was not silenced. 

On the third of September, there appeared as an 
advertisement, draped in sombre black, the following: 

"meeting. 

"All the friends of the late William C. Ralston are 
requested to meet at Union Hall, this evening, Sep- 
tember 8, 1875, at 8 o'clock." 

Fears were entertained that the meeting might result 
in mob violence or the organization of a vigilance 
committee. Such was not its purpose, it was a meeting 
called in order that the true feeling cherished by San 
Francisco for her dead friend and benefactor might 
find expression in eulogy of his life and character and 
in solemn protests against his defamers. 

At the appointed time, twenty thousand people 
assembled to do justice to his memory. The hall was 
crowded and overflow meetings were organized. It 
was a representation of all classes. From the speeches 
made on this occasion, I make the following extracts: 



194 The Gold Hunters of California 

Col. W. H. L. Barnes: 

" There is no well-founded accusation against him. 
It was said, falsely said, that he was a defaulter to 
the Bank of California. Now, gentlemen, that is not 
so. It has never been responsibly asserted. If I 
understand the meaning of the term, as we use it 
in connection with such an institution, it means one 
who feloniously secretes and absorbs to his own benefit, 
the moneys that are intrusted to him. Is there any 
man who will say that of William C. Ralston? 

"Of his enormous fortune, it all went to the public. 
The alleged defalcations simply are indebtedness to 
the bank of which he was President, which his estate 
is believed to be ample to meet. ******* 

"There is not a laboring man, there is not a mechanic, 
there is not a citizen of San Francisco, that has not 
reaped the benefit of those loans. What if the capital 
of the Bank of California was impaired by loans to the 
Mission Woolen Mills? It has made an institution that 
is the pride of the city and state, and is worth, to-day, 
more than a million dollars over and above every cent 
it owes the Bank of California. Your factories and 
your places of public industry — the sources from which 
your best class of artisans, your skilled mechanics, get 
their living and support their families — have been 
taken care of by this capital of the Bank of California. 
And I think it is a great deal better to have it in that 
shape than to have it in Yellow Jacket and Savage. 
They said there is an over issue of the stock of the 
Bank of California. Gentlemen, I say here now, that 
if there ever was an unmitigated, good, old-fashioned, 
American lie, it is that. ********** 

"What shall I say of him as a friend? Whoever 



The Gold Hunters of California 195 

knew him but found in him a loyal, faithful, honest- 
hearted, tender, sympathizing, self-sacrificing friend. 
It made no difference what your trouble was,— monetary 
or personal,— whatever it was, you could take him 
when the financial tide was surging and sweeping about 
him, and he could strip himself of all his own cares 
and anxieties, and sit clown and hear what you had 
to say, and set himself to work with that resistless 
energy of his, to bear you safely through. No poor 
man ever went to him and received an unkind word. 
No defenseless woman, no little child ever begged of 
him, but found his pocket as free as his advice. None 
ever spoke to that man and had him put them through 
all the phases of their misery before he relieved them. 
He gave everywhere, to everybody. And if a little 
child wanted a place to work, and went to him, he 
would lay aside his business and go with it in hand 
until he found something for it to do. Everywhere, 
with everybody, he was generous, kindly, considerate. 
He never cringed to a rich man, and he never turned 
his back upon a poor one. His proudest boast was that 
he was a man of the people; that his father was a car- 
penter, that he learned his trade, and I remember— 
and it only occurs to me at this moment — that when, 
a couple of years ago, I was discussing before the 
public that question, 'What shall we do with our 
boys?' he said that if a trade school should be started 
here for these untrained, uneducated boys, he would 
give, $100,000 to start it. And it was through his 
influence, and through his persuasions toward those 
who were most near him, that James Lick made that 
munificent provision, which still exists, for the estab- 
lishment in San Francisco of a great trade school for 
boys. However you look at him, in whatever he did, 



196 The Gold Hunters of California 

whatever he attempted to do, he never, never, and 
God, who hears the assertion, knows its truth — acted 
from a selfish, base, or ignoble motive. " 

Hon. Thomas Fitch: 

"What part of human speech can fitly eulogize the 
man we have lost? What brush of artist, or pen of 
dramatist can depict the benefactions of his generous 
life, and the tragedy of his heroic death? His deeds 
speak for him in tones that sound like the blare of 
trumpets, his monuments rise from every rood of 
ground in your city. His eulogy is written on ten 
thousand hearts, commerce commemorates his deeds 
with her whitening sails and her laden wharves, phil- 
anthropy chimes the bells of all public charities in 
attestation of his liberality, patriotism sings peans for 
him, who in the hour of the nation's struggle, sent the 
ringing gold of mercy to chime with the flashing steel 
of valor. Unnumbered deeds of private generosity 
attest his secret charities, sorrow has found solace in 
his deeds, despair has been lifted into hope by his 
bounty, there are charities whose heaven-kissing spires 
chronicle his donations to the cause of religion, schools 
claim him as their patron, hospitals own him as their 
benefactor. Art has found in him a supporter, science 
leaned on him while her vision swept the infinite, the 
feet of progress have been sandaled with his silver. 
He has upheld invention while she wrestled with the 
dead forces of nature. He was the life of all enter- 
prise, the vigor of all progress, the epitome and rep- 
resentative of all that is broadening, and expansive, 
and uplifting, in the life of California. Would you 
show honor and hospitality to travelers renowned in 
letters, arts or arms? Ralston was the princely host. 



The Gold Hunters of California 197 

Did you wish to forward a public or private charity? 
Ralston headed the subscription list. Would you 
develop a new industry, to enlarge the resources of 
the city, start a new manufacture, add wealth to the 
state, and furnish hundreds of husbands and fathers 
with contented and well paid toil? — you went to Ral- 
ston for advice and assistance. He impressed you with 
his power, he infused you with his energy, he touched 
you with his princely generosity, he conquered you 
with his magnetism. His vitality was like the flash 
of steel, his enduring energy was like the steady and 
swift flow of a cataract, his beneficence was like the 
copious and searching philanthropy of the summer 
rain. Of all her public possessions, the commonwealth 
of California never owned anything more valuable than 
this man's life. Of all her public disasters, she has 
had none greater than his death. Of all her shrines, 
there should be none more sacred from desecration 
than his memory. 

"And the people of California will be false to every 
impulse of justice and manly honor, if they allow the 
hounds of treachery, cruelty, and falsehood, who ran 
hot upon his trail, while living, to now lay their slanders 
upon his new-made grave. I say with you 'Never!' 
Rather let every honest hand grasp a whip to scourge 
these merciless dogs into their dens — into the editorial 
rooms of the San Francisco Bulletin and Call. 

"I say, my fellow citizens, that William C. Ralston 
was stung to death by the blood-sucking vermin of the 
press. I am not here to question the verdict of the 
Coroner's jury, but even if Mr. Ralston had wrought 
his own destruction, if, denuded of all earthly pos- 
sessions, if, bereft of house and home, wounded in 
spirit and shorn of hope, his great heart left the earth 
and sought the swift current that should carry his 



198 The Gold Hunters of California 

life out through the Golden Gate of death into the 
peaceful ocean whose shores are the confines of Eternity, 
if this had been so who shall gainsay his right, or 
question his decision? 

"Of all his vast possessions he retained nothing, not 
even a winding sheet. He went out of the world as 
he came into it. He left everything to his creditors — 
his creditors! do I say? What man so presumptuous as 
to call William C. Ralston his debtor? The people of 
California, collectively, owe him more than enough to 
offset his liabilities, and the balance to his credit in 
the Eternal Ledger is large enough to acquit him of 
all the errors of a princely life. 

"My fellow citizens, I am not here to attempt to 
cast reproach upon the genius of a free press. It is 
the great economical illuminator of all practical human 
aspects, politics, art, religion, society, morals. It is 
at once the tribunal of taste and the articulator of 
thought. It is the handmaid of enterprise, the fortress 
of order, the mailed, invincible right arm of freedom. 

"Like commerce, it gives health and vigor to the 
life of nations. Like commerce, its sceptre stretches 
from the shining temples of the Orient to the swimming 
forests of the Thames. Its shrouds stiffen, and its 
white sheets fill with the winged gales of Progress — 
beating foaming paths through conquered waters, 
dashing, on steeds of fire, along iron ways, harnessing 
the elements to its chariot, reading the mysteries of 
the magnet, making a courier of the lightning, and 
guides of sun and stars, it courses its way in majesty, 
in power, and in glory, over a boundless sea of possibil- 
ities, and its dominion broadens with every swelling of 
the tide. 

"Its many colored fabric is meshed and fashioned 
in the beneficent loom of cumulative emprise, and 



The. Gold Hunters of California 199 

its shifting shuttle marks the pace of the world's advance. 
But if piratic hands grasp the sceptre, and change it 
to a murderous cudgel, if its bellied sails are blackened 
with fumes from hell, and bloated with the charnel 
house's vapors, if, instead of argosies engaged in fair 
trade, we have slavers seeking their cargoes in the 
fever-haunted jungles of slander— wreckers, lighting 
false beacons to lure noble ships upon the rocks of 
confidence— pirates whose decks are slippery with the 
blood of their victims, if narrowing the horizon of its 
opportunities down to spite and hindrance, and slan- 
ders foul, and stale, and false and inhuman, the press 
becomes the plunderer of the reputation of men, living 
and dead, — then even as the nations of the earth com- 
bine for the extermination of the outlaws of the sea, 
so ought communities to combine against the demons 
of the press. Have we not such pirates among us? 
Why, fellow citizens, for twenty years, the San Fran- 
cisco Bulletin has crouched like a bloodless frog upon 
a stone, gloating, and croaking, and puking in the 
face of nature." 

Dr. J. C. Shorb: 

" Ralston was great in spite of any fate. He owed 
nothing, absolutely nothing, to his surroundings, he 
owed nothing to the age in which his lot was cast, he 
owed nothing to his parentage save the bare fact of 
his existence, he owed nothing to early education, 
for this was denied him. I tell you, citizens of San 
Francisco, he was great when he shoved the jack-plane 
at his father's bench, in Wellsville, Ohio, he was great 
when he trod the deck of the river packet on the Mis- 
sissippi, he was great when he first set foot on the soil 
of California, he was great when he controlled the 



200 The Gold Hunters of California 

finances of the States of California and Nevada, he was 
great at the zenith of his popularity and successful 
management, he was great in his life, he was great in 
his death — in his awful tragical death. * * * * * 

"Each moment spread the fearful certainty, and' 
before the sun went down on that black Friday night, 
a brokenh-earted city mourned the death of its best 
friend, and noble benefactor. Yes, he was gone. 
Dead, and gone forever. Men with pale faces, faces 
written all over with grief and horror, gathered around 
in little groups, or walked silently about, that awful 
night, speaking in whispers one to the other, asking 
the solemn question, but getting no reply, — 'Who 
shall take his place?' The busy voice of trade was 
hushed in the thoroughfares. There were rumors of 
new tragedies in different portions of the city. Men 
feared the dawning of the day. There were murmurs 
of vengeance, — low, muttered threats of violence. 
There were troops under arms all night long, not know- 
ing what moment a spark would ignite the combusti- 
ble elements in the heart and soul of a people whose 
wrath, like the delegated wrath of God, has before this 
shaken nations to the center, desolated cities, and 
made their streets splash and bubble with torrents of 
human blood. The night my friends, passed silently 
away, and the morning broke upon this city, bowed 
down with grief and saturated with despair. * * * 

"Having most falsely and foully misrepresented the 
condition of the affairs of the Bank of California, they 
stabbed this state to the very heart; they have im- 
peached our credit at home and abroad, from center 
to circumference they have arrested the progress of 
manufactures; they have taken necessary capital out 
of circulation; they have impaired the safety and 
value of our securities; they have labored to disgrace 



The Gold Hunters of California 201 

us throughout the world, in every nation, Christian 
and Pagan, in every land with which the American 
Republic holds commercial relations to-day. We have 
only to refer, my friends, for a moment to the adver- 
tisements of the Bank of California, second only in 
importance to the Bank of England. We see at a 
glance how extensive and numerious were its ramifica- 
tions; in how many commercial centers of the globe 
it engaged the confidence and respect of trade and com- 
merce. Letters of credit issued, and available for 
the purchase of merchandise, throughout the United 
States, Europe, India, China, Japan and Australia. 
It drew direct on London, Dublin, Paris, St. Peters- 
burg, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremen, Leip- 
sic, Vienna, Stockholm, Christiania. 

'The agent of the Associated Press in the City of 
New York, in league with and inspired by the hate and 
malice of his partners in San Francisco, charged the 
lightning to convey the history of our disasters to the 
farthest parts of the earth, and to hold up to the exe- 
cration of the world the rotten condition of the financial 
structure of California. A shameless repudiation of 
all our sacred obligations — of the state debt — would 
have done us infinitely less harm than the agent of the 
Associated Press did when he called the cable into 
service, and made the lightning his messenger to con- 
vey the false story of financial ruin having fallen upon 
the State of California. I tell you, I solemnly believe 
that it will require twenty years or more to remedy 
the evil which they have done, and to restore California 
to the confidence of the world — to place her where she 
stood New Year's morning, 1875. For weeks and 
months preceding the death of Ralston, the great 
banker — our benefactor and friend— there rained with- 
out intermission upon his devoted head, torrents of 



202 The Gold Hunters of California 

abuse — a deluge of the most abominable lies — from 
two of the leading papers in the City of San Francisco. 
By night and by day, on week days, and on Sundays, 
they held him up to public execration as the most con- 
spicuous and malignant conspirator against the true 
interests and welfare of the city of San Francisco — a 
city which owes its present position and its magnificent 
progress, more to William C. Ralston than to any 
other man, living or dead, in California to-day. The 
City of San Francisco is Mr. Ralston's monument. 
Nothing but the hand of God moving in the earth- 
quake shall hurl that monument into ruins. It will 
live and grow to scourge and burn the conscience of 
his traducers who had the heart, but not the courage 
of the assassin." ************ 

All the speakers urged the vast audience to resort 
to no act of violence. Resolutions expressive of the 
universal esteem in which Ralston was held and con- 
demning the Bulletin and Call, controlled by G. K. 
Fitch and Loring Pickering and the Associated Press, 
of which the following is a type, were adopted: 

" Resolved, That the course of the agent of the As- 
sociated Press in forwarding the slanderous attacks 
on the late Mr. Ralston, and in sending as facts the 
worst street rumors concerning the solvency of the 
bank, and the character of Mr. Ralston, has been out- 
rageously unjust to the people and interests of this 
coast; that the use of the Associated Press dispatches 
exclusively in the partisan support of the Evening 
Bulletin and Morning Call, in the dissemination of 
these slanders, deserves public rebuke; and that J. W. 
Simonton, one of the proprietors of those two papers, 



The Gold Hunters of California 203 

who is also the manager of the New York Associated 
Press, is directly chargeable with this prostitution of 
journalism." 

Testimonials of respect for the life and memory of 
W. C. Ralston were adopted by all the leading associa- 
tions of San Francisco, which with the proceedings of 
the monster meeting were spread broadcast wherever 
the lightnings touched the marts of trade and the 
hives of industry, which silenced his enemies and 
placed his character in its true light — that of an hon- 
orable, high-minded man of affairs, whose services 
were written in the progress of the state and city. 

For ten days or two weeks after the death of Ralston 
and the suspension of the Bank of California, all busi- 
ness was practically suspended, until the bankers 
could receive from the East supplies of gold demanded 
by the normal conditions of trade. It was said that 
the Directors of the Bank of California had passed a 
resolution throwing that institution into liquidation, 
which, reaching the ears of a prominent lawyer, 
a friend who felt great injustice had been done 
Ralston, sent word to the Trustees that before taking 
such precipitate action, he would like to confer with 
them, as he could give them information it was im- 
portant they should know. 

The meeting was arranged. The lawyer on being 
informed that the resolution had been adopted as 
reported, inquired as to the solvency of the bank and 
was informed that the depositors would be paid, but 
that the stockholders would lose heavily. 



204 The Gold Hunters of California 

"How long has the bank been insolvent? " 

"Four or five months." 

"You have been during that time declaring the 
usual monthly dividends of one per cent on your cap- 
ital stock, have you not?" 

"Yes." 

"Well, gentlemen, if you decide to go into liquida- 
tion, I will advertise for every share of stock I can in 
the bank and proceed against each one of you criminally, 
for there is a statute in this State that makes it a felony 
for the trustees or directors of any corporation to 
declare unearned dividends." 

This was indeed information to the Board. They 
sent for Sam Wilson, the attorney of the bank, and 
told him the threat made. Wilson said he knew of no 
such statute, but would investigate and let them know 
latter. He did so, and reported that such a law had 
been passed at the last Legislative Session. 

The resolution was rescinded, a patriotic wave swept 
over the rich directors. The daily press in many 
editorials advocated the rehabilitation of the bank. 
It was declared that to allow the Bank of California 
to go out of business, an institution that had so long 
been so closely identified with the prosperity of the 
state, would be a lasting reproach upon the citizen- 
ship, all of which found a lively response among the 
people most affected, with the result that the depos- 
itors agreed to accept term payments, a large guarantee 
fund was created sufficient to protect every creditor 
against loss, and to restore the value of the stock to 



The Gold Hunters of California 205 

par. When these preliminaries were arranged, the 
bank resumed business and is, to-day, the leading 
financial institution of San Francisco. 

It was claimed that the lawyer responsible for all this 
was a debtor to the bank in a large sum and when 
requested to liquidate, refused, saying the bank justly 
owed him a much greater sum for keeping their mil- 
lionaire directors out of the state's prison. 



CHAPTER XIII 

James R. Keene came to San Francisco a poor man, 
from Shasta County. I have been told that during 
the war he edited a Democratic paper in Shasta County. 
He began operating in stocks as a curbstone broker, and 
by the mere force of his genius, was soon one of the 
controlling powers of the mining board. He amassed 
a fortune of about $8,000,000 and transferred his 
business to New York about the year 1876. 

He was quick, active, energetic, full of force and 
never plunged unless he thoroughly understood the 
route he was going to take. 

His last fight upon the Board in San Francisco was 
against the Bonanza crowd, that is, Mackay, Flood, 
O'Brien and Fair, when he broke the stock of " Con- 
solidated Virginia" and "California" from about $300 
to $60. 

Keene is well known in New York. He has at times 
faced heavy losses, but always with calmness. He 
seems to enjoy the game of " bulling and bearing" 
stocks, and on Wall Street is, and has been a factor 
to be considered, whenever interested in any deal. 
He is now past seventy years of age, but his recent 
fight against the Harriman crowd for the control of 
the Southern Pacific, proves him to be as unyielding 
and combative as when thirty years ago he fought 

206 



The Gold Hunters of California 207 

the Bonanza crowd on the stock board of San Fran- 
cisco. 

High spirited and courageous, he never knows defeat, 
but when worsted, gathers his forces and renews the 
fight. 

He is the incarnation of speculation, and the best 
stock manipulator on the continent. 

The late John William Mackay was one of the strong- 
est figures that ever appeared in California. It was 
said that he was born in Dublin in 1831, and was a 
descendant of that Highland Mackay Clan whose 
chieftain went down in the battle of Flodden. 

He reached the Golden State some time after the 
Argonauts appeared in 1849. He at once entered the 
mining struggle in which all were engaged, lost and 
won, then drifted to Virginia City about 1860. The 
ups and downs of life had made him brave, courageous 
and persistent, undaunted in misfortune, prudent in 
success. 

About 1875 he held the position, unchallenged, of 
"The Great Bonanza King." And even upon this 
pedestal he bore himself with that modesty which 
adorned his life. 

John W. Mackay, James G. Fair, James O'Brien 
and James G. Flood were partners in the company 
controlling the "Consolidated Virginia" and "Califor- 
nia" mines. They bought the ground and at a depth 
of twelve hundred feet uncovered a body of ore that 
yielded a gross return of about $200,000,000, the 
dividends amounting to $80,000,000. 



208 The Gold Hunters of California 

This company was a strong combination. 

Flood managed the financial part of the business in 
San Francisco, the selling, buying and general manipu- 
lation of stock. 

Fair had charge of all the underground work and the 
reduction of the ores. 

James O'Brien was the "good fellow/' running with 
the boys, drinking good brandy and giving them 
"pointers." 

John W. Mackay, who organized this company, was 
the chief counsellor and advisor, the final arbiter in all 
matters of importance. He was the executive manager. 
The one who, with keen foresight, made the plans, 
and he more than any in the firm, brought the brilliant 
success which made all his associates multi-millionaires. 

He returned from the Comstock with a fortune 
variously estimated at from $40,000,000 to $50,000,000. 

His life afterwards showed him to be a man capable 
of large undertakings and at the same time he has 
never lost his sympathy with those less fortunate in 
the race for wealth. To the few of his friends who 
were alive up to the period of his death, he was still 
the same John Mackay of the earlier days on the Com- 
stock, when he carried his dinner pail to his daily labor. 
And no one conversant with his life, filled with noble 
and generous deeds, for a moment could envy him the 
proud position he achieved in the financial woricu 

Mackay was in no sense a gambler, but rather & 
developer of industrial enterprises. 

To his initiative and that of James Gordon Bennett, 




Senator George Hearst, a Great 
Miner.— Page 215. 



The Gold Hunters of California 209 

the commercial world owes much in establishing a 
rival Atlantic Cable and breaking up what threatened 
to be a dangerous monopoly. 

Mrs. Mackay's first husband was Dr. Bryant, a 
young man of fine attainments as a physician, who 
lived in Downieville, California and died about the 
year 1861. His widow being poor, joined the great 
rush to Virginia City, where for a time she taught 
school. She finally married John W. Mackay. Every- 
one knows of her triumphs in the European social 
world, where she has shone brilliantly in the American 
Colony of Paris for the last twenty years. Her purse 
was always open to those who aided and befriended 
her in the days of her poverty. 

James G. Fair was a miner and a good one. In 
point of cunning and shrewdness the fox could not 
out-rival him. 

Once in exploiting some mine, I think it was the 
" Moscow," which was off the main vein of the Corn- 
stock, "Jimmie" met the superintendent of the mine 
one day, on the street. "Do you know a first-class 
man," asked the superintendent, "to run a diamond 
drill?" 

"Yes," replied "Jimmie," in his drawling way, "I 
know one but he is an awful rascal, one of the biggest 
scoundrels I ever met." 

The superintendent assured him it was not a question 
of character but of skill in running a diamond drill, 
and asked Fair to send the man to him. 



210 The Gold Hunters of California 

"Oh no," said "Jimmie," "I — I wont speak to him, 
he is such a scoundrel." 

"Can you tell me where he lives?" the superintendent 
asked. 

"No," was the reply, but sonney, I will try and find 
out for you." 

The matter dropped for three or four days. Then 
the superintendent met Fair and asked him if he had 
found where the man lived. 

"N-no," slowly said Fair, "I ain't heard of him — 
he is such a scoundrel." 

"I do not care what he is," again reiterated the 
superintendent, "I want him for the work." 

"Well, well," Fair hesitatingly said, looking across 
the street, "there he is, you go and talk to him. He 
is such a rascal. But he can run a diamond drill." 

The superintendent engaged the man, the diamond 
drill was set in motion. Drillings were found to rise 
in value every day, by the superintendent's assays. 
"Moscow" stock began to appreciate and was in much 
demand. 

"Well — well," says "Uncle Jimmie," "they do seem 
to want my ' Moscow' stock. I reckon I will let them 
have it." 

And he did, at a good price. 

Mr. Fair had a servant girl who had earned a con- 
siderable amoimt in wages. She was taken with the 
speculative fever, so common among all classes of 
people in California, at that time. She went to "Uncle 
Jimmie" and solicited points. 



The Gold Hunters of California 211 

"Well well," said he, "so you want to speculate? 
Don't do it. You know, my girl, you might lose your 
money. It is a dangerous game." 

"But," said the girl, "everybody is making money. 
I have $400 and I want to invest." 

Fair would not listen to her then, but after much 
urging he finally yielded and said: 

"You must not tell anybody living what I am advis- 
ing you to do." 

" Oh no, Mr. Fair, I wont," replied the unsophisticated 
maid. 

"Well, well, I believe you wont," said Fair, hesita- 
tingly, and looking in her face. " Go and buy ' Ophir.' " 

The girl explained that she did not know how to 
buy, and handed her money over to Fair, $400. 

As soon as the evening meal was over the servant 
girl, in her best dress, strolled over to Mrs. O'Sullivan's, 
Miss Finnigan's and the others of her set, and confi- 
dentally gave away the information that Mr. Fair had 
given her on the matter of "Ophir," and that "Uncle 
Jimmie" had told her that "Ophir" was going up. 

All the Irish in Virginia City and the Catholics in 
general began to buy "Ophir" stock. 

It is supposed that "Uncle Jimmie" had sold it "short." 
In a few weeks "Ophir" began to slump. It went 
down, down, as rapidly as it had gone up. 

The servant girl went to her employer in much 
trepidation, and said: 

"Mr. Fair, I suppose I have lost my money." 



212 The Gold Hunters of California 

"Lost your money !" echoed Fair, apparently sur- 
prised. 

"Yes," moaned the girl, " you told me to buy'Ophir,' 
and I gave you my money to invest in it." 

"Well, well," replied "Foxy Grandpa," "buy 'Ophir' 
— perhaps I did, Mary. I had forgotten all about it. 
Here is your money, Mary, and take my advice and 
don't buy any stocks. What you should do is to get 
you a big Mick to protect you." 

Many stories are told of Fair, illustrating his shrewd- 
ness and his keen sense of humor. 

He found once a youngster on the mine not more 
than twenty years old. 

"Well, sonney," said he, so you came all the way 
from New York here, all the way?" 

The boy answered in the affirmative. 

"Well, well, I declare," soliloquized Fair, "and you 
were not afraid of Injuns, and you had no fear of getting 
lost, or being stolen an' tortured, an' an' — " 

"Confound you," yelled the youngster, "I know 
what I am doing, if I ain't more than twenty." 

"Well, sonney," apologetically continued Fair, "I 
didn't mean to insult you. Give me your hand. I 
like you." 

And the young man was promoted. 

A crowd of eastern people visited the Comstock. 
They wanted to go into the mine. When there, they 
met Fair, mistaking him for the overseer. He showed 
them through. As if they were being attented by an 
eastern waiter, they handed him a $5 note as they 



The Gold Hunters of California 213 

passed out. Fair as gravely took it and put it in his 
pocket. 

He would go down in the mine where smoking was 
strictly prohibited, on account of danger from fires 
or explosions. 

"Well, sonney," he would say to one, "ain't you 
got a pipe? I feel like taking a smoke." 

The unsuspecting miner produced his pipe. Fair 
would smoke a few seconds, then go to the surface 
and hunt up the superintendent and say: 

"Discharge that man on the west drift, I got his 
pipe and it was hot." 

On another occasion he said to another: 

"Do you think this ore will go thirty ounces to the 
ton?" 

"Oh, more than that, Mr. Fair," returned the man, 
"it will go sixty ounces, sure." 

"Well, well, I declare! You don't say so!" was 
the comment of Mr. Fair. 

Immediately the superintendent received instructions 
to discharge the man. 

"He knows too much," the reason given. 

A few days after, Fair met the man who had been 
discharged. 

"Well, sonney, how about that ore?" 

"I don't know anything about that ore. I have 
been discharged," was the curt reply. 

"Discharged!" echoed Foxy Fair, "well, well, I 
declare! that cuss is all the time gettin' rid of my best 
men." 



214 The Gold Hunters of California 

By and by the workmen all understood his way 
and not a soul knew anything. 

This Bonanza firm in 1874 established the Nevada 
bank in San Francisco, with a capital of $5,000,000, 
before the bonanzas of the " Consolidated Virginia" 
and "California" were worked out. Some time about 
the year 77, Fair, owing to some disagreement with 
Mackay and Flood, retired from the firm. 

Mackay became heavily interested in the Postal 
Telegraph Company. The war clouds began to gather 
in Europe and a struggle between Germany and France 
seemed certain. The Nevada bank bought up most 
of the wheat in the state at fancy figures, thereby 
sustaining a heavy loss. Mackay came to San Francisco 
and was straining every nerve to save his bank. Meet- 
ing Fair on the street, "Uncle Jimmie" asked if the 
Nevada bank was in trouble. Mackay replied that 
it was, that his money was so tied up that he could 
not relieve it, and unless relieved it would have to 
close its doors. 

"I do not care for my own investment," said Mac- 
kay, "but cannot bear the idea of the laboring men 
and others, among our depositors, losing their money." 

"How much do you require?" asked Fair. 

"Three millions," was the reply. 

"I will let you have it," volunteered Fair. 

"On what security?" 

"No security from you. Your note is sufficient." 

"Uncle Jimmie" advanced the money, saved the 
bank and rescued his old friend, comrade and partner 



The Gold Hunters of California 215 

from great pecuniary loss and a world of trouble and 
humiliation, which showed Fair in the general and 
final analysis to be a generous hearted and magnanimous 
man. 

I first became acquainted with George Hearst ex- 
United States Senator, from California, and father of 
William Randolph Hearst of world wide newspaper 
fame, when he was elected to the legislature of Cali- 
fornia from San Francisco, in 1865. A few years 
later, I think about 1870, he became prominent in a 
suit against the Raymond & Ely mine, of Pioche, 
Nevada, known as the Hermes vs. The Raymond & 
Ely. Mr. Hearst lost his suit and with it his accu- 
mulations. 

Prior to this he had married a most estimable lady, 
from Missouri, who was, I have been told, a school 
teacher. From 1870 to 1872 he was financially em- 
barrassed and, had his creditors pressed him, would 
have been insolvent to the amount of several hun- 
dred thousands of dollars. But the energy of the 
man was never more conspicuously displayed than 
when the tide of fortune was against him. 

J. B. Haggin was his friend. Believing in his judg- 
ment as a miner and his integrity as a man, and thor- 
oughly realizing that he was incapable of betraying 
a trust, he backed him, cautiously at first, in his mining 
operations. He put up all the money and gave George 
Hearst one-third of the profits. His first successful 
operation was the purchase of the " Ontario " mine 
in Utah. A mining prospect for which they paid 



216 The Gold Hunters of California 

$45,000, carrying a tenth for R. C. Chambers, who 
had brought the property to their attention. When 
the mine was sufficiently exploited Haggin sold a half 
interest in New York for $1,000,000, which placed 
George Hearst on his feet. The mine has since de- 
clared dividends of about $12,000,000. 

R. C. Chambers out of his tenth interest became a 
millionaire, and died recently in San Francisco. 

Hearst next acquired the " Sheep's Head" gold mine 
in California, and the " Juacaschuta," in Sonora, Mexico. 
He rapidly acquired other mines and made several 
millions out of them. 

The "Homestake" mine in South Dakota was 
brought to San Francisco by John Sevenoakes, who 
was well known in mining circles on the Pacific coast, 
in the beginning of 1874. My brother, W. A. Farish, 
was sent out by a syndicate of San Francisco, to ex- 
amine and report on it. He recommended the pur- 
chase and it was bought for $80,000. Haggin and 
Hearst secured a one-third interest. But a short time 
elapsed before they owned the whole property, and 
also purchased all the valuable properties in the entire 
district. This has proved one of the riches mines 
ever uncovered in the history of the precious metals. 

The next successful venture of George Hearst was 
the purchase of the " Anaconda' ' mine in Butte, Mon- 
tana. This was bought as a silver mine. After 
prospecting it to a depth of 400 feet a large body of 
very rich copper ore, carrying silver and gold, was 
disclosed. The ledge, which was from 15 to 20 feet 



The Gold Hunters of California 217 

on the surface, by the displacement of the walls was 
100 feet wide where the copper was encountered. 
Having been leeched above, the copper was precip- 
itated at this point and formed a zone of enrichment 
which has never been excelled in the history of copper 
mining. The ore averaged about 50 per cent copper, 
besides gold and silver. Messrs. Haggin & Hearst de- 
veloped it thoroughly before putting up machinery. I 
have been told that their investment amounted to be- 
tween $4,000,000, and $5,000,000 before they shipped 
any copper or copper ore. This mine has been famous 
for more than twenty years as one of the largest pro- 
ducers in the West, and is at present controlled by the 
Amalgamated Copper Co. 

George Hearst and J. B. Haggin, known as the firm 
of Hearst & Haggin, were in no sense gamblers in 
mining stocks. Hearst, whose life had been, to a 
great extent spent under ground, whose experience 
had been gathered in the hard school of toil and obser- 
vation, was one of the best judges of an undeveloped 
mine I have ever known. He established a reputa- 
tion among mining men for honesty and fair dealing 
that was wealth to the firm, more than could be esti- 
mated. Every prospector or miner brought property 
to their attention. If upon examination it looked 
well they took hold of it. If he found the miner or 
prospector presenting the property for examination to 
be competent and reliable, he was placed in charge 
as superintendent at a good salary. When the prospect 
was opened to a point where it required machinery, 



218 The Gold Hunters of California 

Hearst would go and examine it personally. If every- 
thing was satisfactory he would tell Haggin to honor 
the superintendent's draft for whatever was required. 

When the mine was placed upon a paying basis it 
was incorporated, one tenth of the stock was held for 
the superintendent, which he could dispose of as he 
saw fit, only paying them his proportionate part of 
the cost at small interest. They would sell enough 
stock to reimburse themselves for the work done, still 
retaining control. 

Their reputation as mining men was so well estab- 
lished in New York that whenever any of their property 
was laid before the investing public, whatever they had 
to sell would be sold within a week. For it was a well- 
established fact that George Hearst never sold "gold 
bricks," but always gold bars. Their success was 
wonderful. 

George Hearst died, and, dating his accumulations 
from his first strike in the "Ontario," he left a fortune 
variously estimated at from $15,000,000 to $20,000,000, 
acquired in about fifteen years. His estate has probably 
doubled since. 

No old Calif ornian, nor, in fact, any right-minded man, 
for a moment begrudged him his good fortune. To all 
who knew him he was to the end of his life plain George 
Hearst, not rich in scholarly lore, but wise in worldly 
wisdom, bold in his enterprises, simple in his manner, 
honest in his dealing with his fellow-man. 

His word could always be depended on; it was abso- 
lutely sacred, no matter if millions were involved. He 



The Gold Hunters of California 219 

never sought aggrandisement at the expense of friend- 
ship, and those who stood by him in the hour of his 
adversity were richly rewarded when change of fortune 
came to him. 

Through the untiring energy and indomitable will 
of the man his wealth was created, and he is recognized 
to-day as having been one of the best miners and prac- 
tical engineers the Western Continent has produced. 

Among the prominent families in southern California, 
none obtained greater recognition than that of John 
Bradbury. He was a native of Maine and came West 
at the time of the Mexican war, and finally found his 
way into California as one of the early pioneers. From 
there he drifted into the State of Sinaloa, in the Republic 
of Mexico, where he used the knowledge he had gained 
in California in prospecting for mines. Among the 
properties he investigated was the old Mina del Tajo, 
situated at the little town of Rosario, about forty miles 
south of Mazatlan. This property had been worked 
in ancient times and its history extended back into the 
period of tradition, but at the time of the Revolt against 
the Spanish rule and the expulsion of the Spaniards 
the mine was closed, and had been abandoned till Brad- 
bury appeared upon the scene. I think it was in 1852 
that he obtained possession of the property and returned 
to California and enlisted a few of his San Francisco 
friends in a company to operate it. The working 
capital was exhausted and enough vicissitudes were 
encountered to discourage an ordinary man, but Brad- 
bury stuck to the property and a few years later was 



220 The Gold Hunters of California 

rewarded by the discovery of the lost shoot of ore. 
From that time to the present the property has been 
profitably worked, — a period of upwards of fifty 'years, 
— and has yielded a constant revenue to his heirs and 
descendants. 

A residence in Mexico covering this period could 
not fail to be fruitful of many adventures, one of which 
is particularly worthy of note as showing the character 
of Bradbury. Wars, revolutions and rebellions fill a 
large part of the history of Mexico until 1880. At 
one time the war would be between one set of political 
aspirants and at another period between a different set. 
During one of these revolutions the present President 
of the Republic, Porfirio Diaz, was a fugitive from his 
fellow countrymen, Juarez and Gonzales. His followers 
were dispersed and he himself reached Bradbury's 
hacienda in a sad plight. Many of his friends in the 
State of Sinaloa were also fugitives. In this condition, 
Diaz appealed to Bradbury, with the result that he 
was hidden in the mine for quite a period. His fol- 
lowers were secreted by Bradbury within the walls of 
the hacienda, above which he raised the American flag, 
and this gave the hunted Mexicans the protection of 
the stars and stripes. Among those who took refuge 
was a young Mexican lady, who attracted the attention 
of Bradbury and who later became his wife. 

Diaz never forgot his debt of gratitude to Bradbury 
and whenever any of his relatives visit the capital of 
the Mexican Republic they are made welcome in 
the family circle of the President. 



CHAPTER XIV 

In the year 1871 San Francisco was honored by the 
presence of two men named Arnold and Slack, who 
had made a trip over-land from Arizona. 

On their way they had discovered some quartz 
crystals and a species of garnets, the former greatly 
resembling diamonds and the latter Oriental rubies. 

When they arrived in that city they exhibited them 
to George D. Roberts, requesting him to have them 
tested. Roberts, not being an expert in precious 
stones, advised them to take them to a party named 
Tucker, at that time a prominent jeweler on Mont- 
gomery Street. Tucker referred them to a French 
lapidary, stating that he would be able to afford them 
all the information they required. The lapidary, to 
their great chagrin and disappointment, instantly 
stated that the stones were of no value. 

This was a heavy blow to their great hopes and 
expectations, for they had cherished the idea that 
they had made a rich discovery. 

Then Arnold and Slack conceived the idea of putting 
into execution "The Great Diamond Swindle." 

In order to carry out their plans it was necessary 
that they should have some genuine diamonds. 

221 



222 The Gold Hunters of California 

The next thing was how to procure them. 

It is not definitely known how they became pos- 
sessed of the first half dozen, the general impression 
being that they obtained them through a party by 
the name of Cooper, who was connected with a dia- 
mond drill company. 

After they had obtained these first diamond stones 
the next thought was, who would be the best subject 
to operate on. George D. Roberts, of all men in San 
Francisco, was the most available for their purpose. 
They felt assured that he would not suspect them of 
attempting to deceive him, being a Southern man him- 
self and of the same political creed as themselves (secess- 
ionists) known as a sharp, shrewd business man, and 
standing well in the community. They knowing this 
fact, and he secured, they could easily reach all the 
monied channels of San Francisco. 

They proceeded back again to Roberts, and exhibited 
the real diamonds they had obtained together with 
the crystals, and imformed him that they could not 
find any party to give them reliable information re- 
garding these stones, but wished him to send them 
East and have them tested at their own expense. 

He did so. 

Arnold and Slack had not at this time any occupa- 
tion, but were waiting in the interval the results of 
the examination, when in due season the stones were 
returned to Roberts (cut) and a certain number of 
them marked by the diamond operator " Genuine " 
also one weighing a carat, and of very fine quality. 



The Gold Hunters of California 223 

This result excited Roberts to such a pitch that he 
sent for Arnold and Slack to come to his office, and 
without telling them the results of the examination 
proceeded to question them as to the whereabouts of 
the place they had discovered the stones. 

They replied that they had obtained them from 
an Indian, and that the Indian had taken them to 
the spot from whence he had gotten them, and, describ- 
ing the formation, said that the surface of the ground 
had been raised up by the ants, but they, not knowing 
their value, brought them to him that he might have 
them tested. Roberts on hearing this information, 
feared that the Indian would pilot some other man to 
the diamond mines, but Arnold satisfied him on this 
head most thoroughly by saying that dead Indians 
never told tales. 

Up to this point the diamond discovery was no 
secret. A great many people were cognizant of its 
existence. 

Roberts now instructed Arnold and Slack to tell 
every one the stones they had sent East had been 
returned and found to be of no value. The next thing 
was to fit Arnold and Slack out for them to return to 
the ground from whence the valuables had been ob- 
tained. 

About six months previous to this Roberts had 
purchased some mining property from Arnold, the 
price being $25,000. He paid $5,000 down and gave 
his note for the balance. At this juncture and on 
the eve of their departure for the diamond mines Arnold 



224 The Gold Hunters of California 

informed Roberts that they must have the money 
for his note ($20,000) before leaving. 

The next morning Arnold's wife who was then living 
in the city, presented herself in Robert's office in a 
state of great excitement, and told Roberts that Arnold 
was going off on some wild goose chase, and for him 
not to pay the money, as it belonged to her. Arnold 
and his wife apparently quarrelled for three or four 
days In the most violent manner, finally ending their 
difficulties by agreeing to separate. Arnold agreeing 
that if she would leave and never come near him again 
she might have the $20,000. 

Roberts during this time had been endeavoring to 
secure harmony and peace between them, but find- 
ing this impossible, he paid over the money to her, 
and she left for parts unknown to him. 

All this quarrel had been arranged before, between 
Arnold and his wife, to deceive Roberts, and to make 
him believe that he had no money to purchase diamonds 
when the time should come to procure them in quantity, 
on Arnold's return from a second trip to the diamond 
fields, and with a purpose always in view, Roberts fitted 
Arnold and Slack with animals, guns and provisions for 
a three month's expedition to this new discovery. 

At this time Harpending, a friend of Roberts, was 
in London, and Roberts wrote him informing him of 
this great diamond discovery, and in due season received 
a reply from Harpending stating that he did not be- 
lieve a word of it, and that Slack and Arnold could 



The Gold Hunters of California 225 

not be relied upon for any statement as to these great 
findings of diamonds. 

Roberts now waited with great impatience and in- 
tense anxiety for the return of these diamond seekers. 

Where Arnold and Slack spent the three months 
they were absent is not definitely known, all traces of 
them being clothed in mystery, the only known facts 
being that Arnold had friends in St. Louis and joined his 
wife there. Little doubt exists, however, that he 
went to London and purchased the genuine stones. 

At the expiration of three months Roberts had the 
satisfaction of beholding the faces of these two great 
explorers, but in the most pitiable, woe-begone and 
desolate condition, ragged, dirty and miserable. 

They told Roberts a most heart-rending story of the 
many hardships they had endured, how the Apache 
Indians had taken capture of them when near the 
diamond fields, how they had taken from them all 
they possessed, finally, that they had hardly escaped 
with their lives arriving at the mines in the most desti- 
tute condition, with provisions, animals and everything 
all gone. 

That in this sad plight they had only remained at 
the mines two days, having no tools to work with, all 
that was left them was a piece of an old shovel, with 
which they plied, digging most vigorously. They 
however exhibited a buckskin bag, or purse, well filled 
with diamonds of all sizes and forms, and also a large 
collection of rubies, stating that they were the product 
of two days labor. 



226 The Gold Hunters of California 

The diamonds were evidently purchased from some 
dealer who sold them as refuse stones, but Roberts, 
not being an expert, and being all unsuspicious of 
his "friends," supposed that they were of the finest 
quality, and worth, at least $100,000, and with this 
idea of their value he was satisfied with the great, good- 
fortune that had fallen to his lot. 

He immediately sent these stones to the East to a 
prominent and well-known diamond merchant to be 
tested. 

They were returned pronounced genuine, and the 
value estimated at $120,000, and great was Robert's 
joy at his good fortune. 

Roberts then went to New York and made a condi- 
tional sale of one fourth interest of these mines to 
Tiffany & Company, the leading fashionable jeweler 
of that city, for $250,000, with the proviso, that an 
examination should be made by a New York man 
of their own selection, and to be sent by them for that 
purpose. 

Slack objected to this sale, stating that there was 
no law then in existence by which these lands could 
be located and held, and that Tiffany or any other 
party might go on this ground and obtain as many 
rights as they possessed, and that no man should ever 
know their position until he was paid $100,000, stating 
that this amount was all that he would ever need 
during his life. 

Arnold, to all appearance was quarreling with Slack 
and trying by every means in his power to get Slack 



The Gold Hunters of California 227 

to acquiesce in this arrangement with Tiffany. Slack, 
however, held out firmly to the last. Arnold then said 
that not one dollar less than $500,000, would purchase 
his interest. 

During this period Harpending had returned from 
England and became a firm believer in the great dia- 
mond discovery. 

He immediately placed the matter before his friend, 
W. M. Lent, for the purpose of procuring the money 
to buy out Slack. Now Lent was just the man to put 
his money in a "dead sure thing," so Lent said that if 
Slack and Arnold would put into his hands the sack 
of diamonds and rubies as a guarantee that the mines 
would prove of the character represented by them 
he would furnish the cash required. 

To this Slack agreed and Lent paid $100,000 in 
gold coin. Lent placed the sack containing the diamonds 
in Harpending's safe, at his private residence, for 
safe keeping. The principal owners of these precious 
stones made it their business, and it was doubtless a 
great pleasure also, to assemble in the billiard room 
in Harpending's house with closed doors, every Sun- 
day, where they would empty the diamonds from the 
sack on the billiard table and speculate on the value 
of each particular stone, descanting upon the size, 
beauty, brilliancy and value of each one. The only 
fear being that a great depreciation of their values and 
of all diamonds might take place when the contents of 
this sack and the fact that the great find of precious 
stones was given to the world. 



228 The Gold Hunters of California 

But Tiffany soon allayed their fears on this score 
by stating that they would have to produce $1,000,000,- 
000, worth of these gems before they could possibly 
decline much in value. 

This quieted their fears and perturbations for the 
moment. There was no law at that time in existence 
by which these diamond mines could be located and 
held, so the next important thing to be done was to 
get a bill through Congress as soon as it should be in 
session in Washington by which a title could be ac- 
quired to these lands. Immediately a prominent 
lobbyist was selected to engineer and pass an act to 
cover the grounds on which this wonderful discovery 
had been made. They well knew the party selected 
would not hesitate or stand aghast, if called upon to 
deal out a little of this diamond company's stock to 
any pliable member of Congress that would aid in 
passing a bill of so much seeming importance to their 
interests. 

After considerable delay, and with great difficulty 
a bill was passed known as the " Sargent's Mining 
Bill," and appeared May 10th, 1872, in which the 
following language is inserted, purposely to cover the 
ground of this discovery of precious stones: 

"Including all forms of deposits except veins of 
quartz or other rock then in place." 

During the time this bill was in progress for passage, 
Harpending and Lent had gone to Europe. 

Up to this time Arnold and Slack had not located any 
diamond mines, except in their imagination, but found 



The Gold Hunters of California 229 

themselves possessing $100,000, paid to them by Lent. 

With abundance of leisure and money to obtain a 
fresh supply of stones and locate a spot to deposit 
them in, Arnold went to London, by way of Montreal 
and purchased a quantity of diamonds and also a 
bag of diamond dust for the purpose of salting the 
ground which might afterwards be selected preparatory 
to the final examination which would be made by the 
expert approved for that purpose by the parties inter- 
ested. 

Arnold arrived from England with his purchases, 
diamonds and dust. Joining Slack they immediately 
proceeded together to locate a spot corresponding as 
nearly as possible with the one described by them to 
Roberts and others possessing the formation as stated, 
and proceeded to do the amount of work as near as 
possible, as they had represented as already done, 
sowing their diamonds and dust to the very best advan- 
tage. 

So ingeniously was this work performed that when the 
parties came to examine the ground they found that 
it contained microscopic stones. This one thing 
deceived Jannin more than any other. 

Jannin's only trouble was that he over-estimated 
his own knowledge and under-estimated the parties 
he was dealing with. 

After this was all completed, Arnold and Slack had 
only to wait until the parties interested were ready for 
the examination. After the bill passed Congress, by 
which these lands were to be located and secured, 



230 The Gold Hunters of California 

Harpencling and Lent returned from Europe, and 
met Arnold and Jannin, the expert decided upon in 
New York. 

All proceeded to the point designated, for the dia- 
mond mines, to make the examination. 

At the expiration of three days Jannin was entirely 
satisfied with the value of the mines and decided it a 
valuable property. 

In his opinion it was all it was represented to be. 

They then returned to the railway station, and 
telegraphed to Roberts, in San Francisco that "it was 
all right," and returned to New York. 

Previous to this trip, Harpending, Lent and Jannin 
proceeded to make a final examination. 

When in New York they arranged with Tiffany and 
Company, and Barlow to incorporate a company to 
raise the money to buy out Arnold's interest, paying 
him $500,000. Up to this time the public in San 
Francisco had no knowledge of this diamond mine 
being in existence. As soon as Jannin's report was 
written, it was immediately telegraphed in full from 
New York to California. 

The moment it appeared in the newspapers it created 
the most intense excitement, Jannin being a man 
above all suspicion with the monied interest of San 
Francisco. 

Parties in New York had now gone so far as to issue 
circular letters preparatory to opening books for sub- 
scriptions for this stock. 



The Gold Hunters of California 231 

Wm. C. Ralston had been previously apprised of the 
great diamond find, but up to this moment had most 
strenuously declined to take any part in it. After 
reading Jannin's report and seeing the great excitement 
caused by it among the people, he evidently made up 
his mind that there could be no mistake about this dis- 
covery of diamonds. Seeing the people forwarding 
their money from San Francisco to New York to pur- 
chase this stock, with his usual perception and having 
an eye to business, he telegraphed the parties in New 
York, that if they could bring the corporation to San 
Francisco he would aid them to raise the money to 
pay off Arnold. 

This proposition was immediately accepted. They 
all returned to California and incorporated their com- 
pany under the laws of that state. Messrs. Ralston, 
Latham and other capitalists contributed $500,000, less 
$75,000, previously taken and telegraphed for from 
New York, and forming part of the purchase money 
to be paid to Arnold, and as soon as this man received 
the amount agreed upon he immediately took his 
departure with his companion and partner, Slack, to 
Kentucky, from whence they originally came to Cali- 
fornia. 

The public, during all this time continued greatly 
excited, waiting only to invest in this great new enter- 
prise. All the parties interested with the exception 
of Ralston, were in favor of disposing of one-half of 
the capital stock at $40.00 per share, which they were 



232 The Gold Hunters of California 

ready and willing and anxious to take at that price. 
This would have amounted to $2,000,000, the capital 
agreed upon being $10,000,000. 

Wra. Ralston objected to any portion being placed 
with the public until these supposed diamond mines 
should produce something that proved they had a 
value and actual existence. 

The newspapers of both countries severely censured 
Mr. Ralston, for permitting his name to be used with 
such a wild scheme and fraud, whereas he, and he alone, 
prevented the whole community from being swindled. 

The exposure of this prodigious swindle by Clarence 
King and others is now too well known to require any 
comment here. 

After it had been proved to be one of the swindles 
of the vilest character, Messrs. Ralston and others 
paid back the money to the various friends that they 
had advised to purchase shares, Mr. Ralston being a 
loser by this investment to the amount of $225,000 
of his own money. 

There is one thing connected with this swindle which 
still remains a mystery. 

How men like Tiffany of New York, and Jannin 
of San Francisco could possibly have been so greatly 
deceived with regard to the value of these stones. 
With Lent and others it is quite easy to imagine how 
these diamonds could be magnified to the vision, being 
owners and not experts in precious stones, but Mr. 
Tiffany was very differently placed, he being a diamond 
merchant contemplating the purchase of a supposed 



The Gold Hunters of California 233 

existing mine, consequently looked up to be to others, 
as a party fully competent to judge of the value, having 
the most valuable establishment in New York, London 
and Paris, and daily and hourly dealing in these very 
gems of which they were asked to fix the value of. 

Mr. Jannin held equally as high a position as a geolo- 
gist in California as Mr. Tiffany had in England and 
America as a diamond dealer. Jannin was a man of 
acknowledged ability, a geologist from the earliest days 
of his education, schooled in the great academy of 
Freiberg, Germany, and thus called upon to decide 
on the value of property where there were millions of 
dollars at stake. 

Can any person believe that these two great adepts 
in diamond value and geological formation could be so 
deceived? 

It appears they valued these gems at $100,000, but 
when the scales were removed from their eyes, the fraud 
discovered and disclosed, they found them to be worth 
only $8,000, as previously stated, being nothing but 
diamonds imperfect in form, poor in quality, and lack- 
ing in brilliancy. 

Any person knowing Mr. Jannin, his private character, 
and honorable standing in his profession, will not be- 
lieve for one moment that he ever intended anything 
wrong in making the report. He was a gentleman well 
connected, coming from the best of families, without 
a stain on his name or reputation during his long and 
successful business career as a mining expert. All these 
circumstances combined, sufficiently attest that he had 



234 The Gold Hunters of California 

been the victim of the two artful and designing scamps. 

Then, how can the public and world at large, wonder 
or be surprised, that such well-known business men 
as Ralston, Latham and others should have been induced 
to invest in this speculation, endorsed and certified to, 
as it was, by a gentleman holding the position of a 
diamond merchant, in the greatest cities of America, 
England and France, as Mr. Tiffany did? 

With all these facts placed clearly before the world, 
little now remains to be written with regard to the 
other parties mentioned, except to say that it is impos- 
sible for anyone thoroughly acquainted with all the 
circumstances connected with this fraud to believe that 
for a moment any other persons than Arnold and 
Slack, and they alone, conceived and arranged this 
swindle for the public and their own profit. 

The worst that can be laid to the charge of the others 
is that they suffered themselves to be duped and made 
the victims of misplaced confidence by two unscrupu- 
lous villains. 

Yet, many may think, and doubtless do, that there 
was some master mind behind Messrs. Arnold and 
Slack, furnishing money and brains to carry out this 
well-devised plot. 

How they obtained funds has been explained before, 
the truth of which I shall not attempt to refute, and 
as for the brains, those only acquainted with Mr. Arnold 
can knowingly judge. A man possessing very little 
education, he was easily under-estimated by those having 
transactions with him. A person of quick perceptions, 



The Gold Hunters of California 235 

possessing a well-balanced head, with an enormous 
brain, a general manner well calculated to deceive 
and impose upon the most shrewd in the ordinary 
business dealings of daily life. 

He had been a bushwhacker, during the Rebellion, 
connected with mining as prospector and explorer, 
and was up to all the tricks of mining sharpers. It is 
to this class of men that nearly all the great mining 
swindles in America and England are traceable. 

Many of them have had a long experience as practical 
miners, and are consequently the best judges of such 
property and know where it is to be found. 

Failing "to make a raise/' as they term it, they 
become desperate and spend their time between gam- 
bling and robbing the Wells, Fargo Express. Salting 
and preparing mines they manage in various ways to 
deceive the experts and thus get good reports on worth- 
less property. From some of these reports, some of the 
very best men in America have been innocently led 
into the most outrageous swindles, appearing in a truly 
ridiculous light when the fraud was discovered. 

This " Great Diamond Swindle," the truth of which 
cannot be denied, only exhibits how other plots of 
similar nature have been carried out. 

The secret history of many similar schemes could and 
will yet be written and given to the world. 



CHAPTER XV 

Any one conversant with the progress of mining 
for the last forty years, the improvement in machinery, 
in the methods of reducing the ores, must admit that 
in no other branch of industry has evolution and revo- 
lution been more complete. From the crude methods 
adopted in California during the fifties, of extracting 
ore from quartz by the old arrastres of the most primi- 
tive type, whose greatest capacity was a ton a day, 
we now have stamp-mills which reduce from four to 
six tons to the stamp. From a saving in the com- 
mencement from free oxidized ores of fifty to sixty 
per cent of their assay value, the saving runs now from 
ninety to ninety-five per cent. The old "Fruevana" 
concentrators adopted on the Comstock and after- 
wards very much improved, have been replaced by 
the Wilfley improved Fruevana's and other tables, in the 
reduction of some ores, and now through concentration 
nearly all the values not obtained in the stamp mills are 
saved. 

In many of the largest mines in California the tailings 
after leaving the mill ran through arrastres. With no 
attempt to further treat them, they were swept away 
and lost. There has been a corresponding reduction 
in cost of reducing silver ores. 

In mining machinery the change has been as great. 

236 



The Gold Hunters of California 237 

Hoists, capable of going to a depth of 4,000 feet 
and back again, in less than two minutes, were intro- 
duced. Shafts are now projected and sunk to from 
7,000 to 9,000 feet. Diamond drills were used for pros- 
pecting. Power drills succeeded to a great extent 
manual drilling. The old Spanish method of sinking 
down from the surface and leaving pillars of ore to 
hold up the walls of the ledges was discontinued. Over- 
hand stoping was adopted. Timbering came into 
universal use. Square sets, where the ledge was wide, 
and posts and caps where the ledge was narrow, black 
powder was superseded by giant powder. The cost 
of mining in veins of ten to twelve feet wide under 
favorable conditions now is often not more than one 
dollar a ton where formerly it was five dollars a ton. 

The cost of milling with automatic feeders, rock 
breakers and other improved methods have been reduced 
correspondingly low. While in the early sixties con- 
centrates were only reduced by chlorinization a very 
expensive process, the values are mostly obtained now 
through a cyanide process, which was unknown up to 
fifteen years ago. I think it is safe to say that twenty- 
five per cent of the gold of the world is now obtained 
from the cyanide process. 

South African ores are reduced by this method. 
Through this process large fortunes have been made 
out of tailings where the assay value did not exceed $3 
per ton. It is applicable, as is well known, to tail- 
ings not containing copper. Where the percentage 
of copper is from three-quarters to one per cent in the 



238 The Gold Hunters of California 

ore it is now concentrated, and the concentrates are 
sent to the customs smelter. 

There was not a large smelter in the West prior to 
1870. Refractory ores were shipped from the Pacific 
Coast to Swansea, Wales and England for reduction. 
Now the great reduction works at Omaha, Denver, 
Pueblo, San Francisco and other points have proved 
a veritable boon to the miner. The methods of reduc- 
tion in those works are being constantly improved 
upon. Formerly, where zinc was contained in the ores, 
there was a large loss in extracting the silver and gold. 
Now, through the Bretherton process that obstacle 
has been overcome. Pyritic smelting has been ad- 
vanced rapidly in the last ten or twelve years. Sulphur 
contained in the ores now in many furnaces is used in 
part as fuel. Electricity as a motive power and for 
the lighting of mines is coming into universal use. 
Electricity is used in the separation of gold and silver 
from copper bullion reducing the cost to one- tenth of 
what it was twenty years ago. 

While there are mountains of low grade ore through- 
out the West, that can not at present be reduced pro- 
fitably, yet, judging the future by the past I think it 
will be a matter of only a few years when this refractory 
ore will be profitably mined and reduced. 

In our schools now any young man can acquire a 
technical education in mining, better than was known 
to the most advanced scientists of fifty years ago, both 
in chemistry, geology and practical mining engineering. 
The thought of the mining world is directed to the 



The Gold Hunters of California 239 

solving of the great problems which never have been 
understood, and taking up the task where their fathers 
left it. These men, or some of them will learn all the 
secrets that are applicable to the reduction of ores, 
and so cheapen the cost of mining and milling that 
the great deposits of ore, averaging from one to two 
dollars per ton will be profitably treated. 

It is never safe to discount the genius of the spirit of 
the young American. 



CHAPTER XVI 

Chinese began to arrive in California during the 
year 1850. After my arrival in the state, in 1852, I 
was accustomed to see almost weekly ship loads of 
these Orientals traversing its streets with their bamboo 
poles across their shoulders carrying baskets at each 
end containing their worldly goods. Most of them 
went into the mines. Many remained in San Francisco, 
locating in a little colony on Washington and Jackson 
Streets above Kearney, while others went into domestic 
service among the few families of the city. 

At that time the servant girl was a rare commodity 
in San Francisco, because immediately upon her arrival 
some lonely man would seek her for a wife. 

These Chinamen were quick to imitate. Once shown 
how to prepare any dish they could do it successfully. 
They commanded from $75 to $100 a month. 

In the mines they were the gleaners, working over 
claims which had been abandoned as worked out by 
the Americans. They were always satisfied with a 
much less return for their labors than was agreeable to 
the regular miner. When the wages in the mines ran 
from $15 to $50 per day, the Chinaman was willing to 
work for $10 and gradually as wages were reduced he 
was satisfied with a corresponding reduction. A few 
thousand dollars was a fortune to these Mongolians in 

240 



The Gold Hunters of California 241 

Hong-kong, or Canton, whence they came. They lived 
on half required to support the life and energy of a good 
healthy American. Their principal food being rice 
with a small allowance of meat. The principal drink 
was American brandy which was often substituted 
for tea. 

Gradually the Chinese population increased, and 
wherever in any city or district they planted themselves 
their presence was distinctly recognized by the filth and 
squalor which pervaded their tenements and the inde- 
finable Chinese odor which was, and is so obnoxious 
and noticeable to this day, where they have their 
habitations. 

In 1860 the Chinese quarter in San Francisco was 
a hive of this undesirable population. Women were 
brought from China by the hundreds. They were 
like slaves, farmed out to bosses who used them for 
absolute gain. This condition existed until after 1870. 
Their colonies appeared in every town and city in the 
state of California, the demoralizing effects of which 
were felt everywhere. 

The Chinese laborers were mere peons. During the 
building of the Central Pacific Railroad large numbers 
of these people were imported under the alien contract 
law passed by John Sherman in 1866, and repealed 
under the Cleveland administration about twenty years 
later. So numerous became the Chinese population 
upon the Pacific Coast, and so objectionable was there 
presence to all thoughtful people who believed in the 
great future of the empire of the Pacific, that about 1868 



242 The Gold Hunters of California 

or 1869 there arose a strong under-current of antago- 
nism to them. 

About this time a bill was passed, introduced, I 
think, by Senator Summer, which placed the Chinamen 
on an equality with the European in the matter of 
naturalization. A universal protest from all repre- 
sentatives of the Pacific Coast, almost exclusively 
Republican in politics, caused the bill to be reconsidered 
and killed. 

George Gorham, the Republican candidate for gov- 
ernor, in the State of California, in 1868, was defeated 
upon the issue. 

California, in 1872 began to advocate a bill for the 
exclusion of the Chinese. It was not until 1876 that 
it was incorporated into any national platform. Both 
parties in California, Nevada and Oregon were agreed 
upon the necessity of Chinese exclusion, and when a 
bill with this end in view was passed in Congress during 
the first term of Cleveland's administration, it was 
recognized universally as a very salutary measure. 

This question ten years prior to that had become an 
all-absorbing one to the people of California, and if 
the national legislature had not taken it up there can 
be little doubt but that the evils of such imigration 
would have been widely felt, not only upon the Pacific 
Coast but by every state in the Union. 

The Chinaman can never be made a component 
part of this Republic. 

His traditions are, that if he dies upon foreign soil 
his bones must rest in China. He cannot live in peace in 



The Gold Hunters of California 243 

the other world unless this is done. For years, and 
even now, the Chinese dead are exhumed and shipped 
to the Flowery Kingdom, for permanent burial. 

He is the same as he was 2,000 years ago. He has 
not advanced one iota in civilization. His morals 
are of the lowest. While patient and hardworking, 
because he has always been a slave to a master, he 
has no higher ambition than to supply the physical 
wants of his nature at the lowest possible cost. 

Many readers may consider me prejudiced against 
the Chinamen. Possibly I am, but to those of the 
East, the South and the Eiddle States who have seen 
but little of him, I say, go to San Francisco, visit China- 
town, where hundreds and thousands live like rats, 
and see them in all their repugnance and filth and 
then it will be easy to understand my feelings on this 
subject. 

They, too, will realize that such a people are not 
wanted in this Republic. There they would see sights 
that would discount the slums of any European city. 
Their opium dens, their courts, where men are tried in 
secret and assassinated women sold into slavery, men 
imprisoned in dungeons, by Chinamen avowing no al- 
legiance except to the Emperor of China, and the Six 
Companies. 

THE AFTER WORD 

The treasures of Peru and Mexico adding, as they 
did, billions to the wealth of Spain, caused a revival 
throughout Europe of the arts, sciences and mechanics, 



244 The Gold Hunters of California 

which contribute in every age to the development of 
commerce. The 16th century marked the end of 
the dark ages. The scarcity of gold and silver was 
severely felt at the beginning of the 19th century, 
but the discovery of gold in California and Australia 
a short time after, adding uncounted millions to the 
basic money of the nations, caused at once a revival 
of commercial activity throughout the world. 

The greatness of our own country dates from the 
time Marshall discovered gold on Sutter Creek in Cal- 
ifornia. 

Speedily the state was filled with the youth and 
vigor of the country, not only of this country but of 
Europe also. There was no state in the Union that 
did not profit to a greater or lesser degree through 
this discovery. Men came to California from every 
State and Territory and for ten years after '49, thou- 
sands returned to their old homes with fortunes ranging 
from $5,000 to $100,000, investing it in lands and 
business enterprises. 

Money was in abundance. Great enterprises were 
developed. East and West, North and South were 
bound together with bands of iron. Our commerce, 
both foreign and domestic grew by leaps and bounds. 
American clipper ships carried American goods into 
every port. Under benignant laws wealth was equally 
distributed and labor was well paid and contented. 
Manufactories multiplied. New cities sprang into being. 
The growth of the nation both in wealth and popula- 
tion was phenomenal, and the panic of 1857 was no 



The Gold Hunters of California 245 

serious drawback to the advancement of the United 
States during this golden era of our prosperity. 

Placer miners of California opened up the placer 
fields of all the Western States. The discovery of the 
Comstock Lode gave a new impetus to mining in the 
West, directing attention to vein mining as the most 
profitable source of investment. 

The prospector traveled from the British possessions 
in the North to Old Mexico and Colorado. New mines 
were discovered and new mining camps sprang into 
existence as if by the touch of a magic wand. Quartz 
ledges in California which had theretofore been over- 
looked became at once objects of interest to the specu- 
lative public. 

Mining was no longer a poor man's business. For 
when the prospector discovered a valuable lode his 
only chance of remuneration was by sale or by the 
organization of a corporation large enough and strong 
enough to develop and work his property. 

Scientists and mechanics gave their best energies 
to the development of mines, and mining machinery 
was gradually improved. Quartz mills were per- 
fected. Pumping and smelting machinery rapidly ad- 
vanced to meet the situation and new processes for 
the reduction of ores came in rapid succession. 

The great beds of ore in Utah, South Dakota, Mon- 
tana and Colorado were first brought to the attention 
of Eastern capitalists by the Californians. Even in 
Australia and South Africa, indeed wherever precious 
metals have been discovered and mined at a profit, 



246 The Gold Hunters of California 

these hardy men whose knowledge was acquired in the 
hard school of experience was in evidence. Not in- 
tending to detract from the miners of Colorado, who 
have accomplished wonderful results in the art of 
reducing refractory ore, yet as the progenitor of great 
results, the mining world must award the laurels to the 
pioneers of California. They were the advance guard 
of prosperity, the up-builders of a nation whose finan- 
cial greatness has made New York the financial center 
of the world, and is rapidly advancing and transferring 
the center of population to the trans-Mississippi States 
and Territories, thus creating for San Francisco, whose 
harbor is the door to the rich commerce of the East, 
a future beyond the vision of the most illusive dreamer. 

To the pioneers of California who opened and worked 
her placer mines great credit is due. But the names 
of Hearst, Mackay, Fair, Ralston, Moore, Keene, 
Patton and their co-laborers, as pioneers in the field 
of vein mining, should ever be preserved in the hearts 
of a grateful people. What Junius said of England's 
great Premier I would say of them: 

"Immortal honors crown their monuments and linger 
o'er them. It is a solid fabric supported by the laurels 
that adorn them." 

To impress a new generation with the enduring 
services of these men and their co-laborers, to civiliza- 
tion and mankind, I have jotted down these recollec- 
tions. 



DEO 19 1904. 



